Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s exile flight vanished from radar shortly after departing Damascus International Airport. The Russian-made Il-76 aircraft, carrying Assad and his entourage, took off as opposition forces advanced into Damascus and his military command negotiated the city’s surrender.
BREAKING — HTS says Assad regime’s heads of intelligence branches in Damascus have completed their arrangements with Syrian rebels to control the capital.
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) December 7, 2024
BREAKING: Rebels have just taken control of Damascus Airport. Reports also claim that the Brodcasting Authority was taken over as well, and rebels are preparing to make a statement announcing the end of Assad’s rule. pic.twitter.com/0U4EjVwZSC
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 8, 2024
The flight was en route to the UAE but abruptly disappeared from radar near Homs, approximately 100 miles from Damascus.
Breaking news! Airplane carrying Assad out of Damascus appears to crashed near Homs pic.twitter.com/kOREnLbYjq
— Mr.Pupan (@HarisHarisba) December 8, 2024
Here’s what the flight’s final moments reveal.
This is the 3D route for Assad's airplane.
— 𝗡𝗶𝗼𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗴 ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) December 8, 2024
We don't yet know if he crashed, but this looks REALLY bad for him.
Fingers crossed. pic.twitter.com/qQlY6pnMT9
Key Points
Bashar al-Assad has not been seen since reports surfaced of his escape from Damascus.
Opposition forces now control Damascus.
The plane believed to be carrying Assad disappeared from radar.
There are no confirmed reports of a crash at this time.
Opposition forces claim to have shot down the plane, but there is no evidence to support this assertion.
The suspected crash site is within range of Russian S-300 surface-to-air missiles protecting key Russian facilities.
The sudden disappearance and rapid descent suggest limited possible explanations, with a shootdown or mechanical failure being the most plausible. Other scenarios, such as low-altitude escape or an emergency landing, are less likely. An emergency landing would place Assad behind enemy lines.
While it remains possible that Assad could reappear in exile, current indications suggest his regime may have ended with a plane crash during his attempted escape.
