Russian state news agencies have reported that former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in Moscow and has received asylum.
Citing a source in the Kremlin, al-Assad and his family were granted asylum based on “humanitarian considerations”.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier that al-Assad had left Syria.
Syrians around the world celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad
Syrians celebrate Bashar al-Assad’s fall as rebels seize control of Damascus, forcing the ousted president to flee.
Syrians gathered in cities around the world to celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government with chants and prayers after opposition fighters entered the capital Damascus following a stunning advance.
The Syrian opposition said that it had defeated al-Assad’s regime in the early hours of Sunday, forcing the ousted president to flee the country. Russian media reports have said that he has been given asylum by his main backer, Russia
At long last the al-Assad regime has fallen,’ says Biden
The US president began his address on the fall of the Syrian regime by saying it had “brutalised and tortured and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians.”
“The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice. It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country,” he said.
He added that the US is not sure where al-Assad is, but there’s “word” he’s in Moscow.
Biden: Moment of ‘uncertainty’ in Syria
Biden says the fall of al-Assad is also a “moment of risk and uncertainty as we all turn to the question of what comes next”.
“The United States will work with our partners and stakeholders in Syria to help them seize an opportunity to manage the risk,” he said,
Canadian, Austrian officials celebrate end of al-Assad regime
“The reign of terror in Syria has finally come to an end,” says Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on X.
“It is important that all actors now quickly begin an inclusive political process that also protects the rights of minorities. Violence and displacement must end and people must find a future on the ground again”, he added, saying that Austria would “support” all Syrians in the country who want to return home.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed these comments, also on X, saying “the fall of Assad’s dictatorship ends decades of brutal oppression. A new chapter for Syria can begin here — one free of terrorism and suffering for the Syrian people.”
“Canada is monitoring this transition closely. We urge order, stability, and respect for human rights”, Trudeau added.
Syrians celebrate in London
UN chief welcomes end of Syria’s ‘dictatorial regime’
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the end of Syria’s “dictatorial regime” and urged the country to rebuild after al-Assad’s fall.
“After 14 years of brutal war and the fall of the dictatorial regime, today the people of Syria can seize an historic opportunity to build a stable and peaceful future,” Guterres said in a statement.
Saudia Arabia says it is pleased with steps to ensure civilian safety in Syria
Saudi Arabia says it has followed the rapid events in Syria and is pleased with the steps taken to ensure the safety of civilians.
The kingdom added that the positive steps also included stopping the country’s bloodshed and preserving the state’s institutions and capabilities.
Syrians in Kuala Lumpur celebrate fall of al-Assad
In front of the Syrian Embassy in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, several people celebrated the opposition’s capture of Damascus and the fall of the al-Assad government.
A convoy of cars has driven around various streets of the city, with opposition flags, chanting for Syria and its people.
Earlier, the Syrian opposition flag was raised on the embassy’s mast, and people distributed sweets in celebration of al-Assad’s ousting.
Syrians in Egypt rejoice at the fall of al-Assad
Reda al-Khedr was only five when his mother escaped the siege of Homs in 2014. A decade later in Cairo, he can hardly believe the Syrian government that killed his father has fallen.
“I can barely remember Syria,” Khedr, now 15, told the AFP news agency in the Egyptian capital.
“But now we’re going to go home to a liberated Syria. We’re done with Bashar al-Assad and his corrupt regime,” he said on Sunday, still blinking in disbelief at the opposition’s lightning offensive that toppled the al-Assad family’s five-decade rule earlier in the day.
Syrians celebrate in Copenhagen, Denmark
Syrian Druze leader calls for people to work together to build new state
The spiritual leader of the Druze community, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, said in Sweida, southern Syria, that he congratulates and pays respects to the “heroic Syrians … regardless of their affiliations”.
Al-Hijri called on Syrians to work together amid the fall of al-Assad’s regime and build a civil state based on “justice and equality”.
Syrians celebrate fall of al-Assad in Athens, Greece
EU chief offers to help rebuild a Syria that ‘protects all minorities’
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the European Union would help to rebuild a Syria that safeguards minorities after the dramatic fall of al-Assad.
“Europe is ready to support safeguarding national unity and rebuilding a Syrian state that protects all minorities,” she said in a statement on X on Sunday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces have seized a buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights following the opposition’s takeover in Syria.
The dramatic turn of events comes after opposition forces seized several strategic cities in a lightning offensive.