Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, December 8, 2024
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, December 8, 2024
Russia claims Assad has left office and fled Syria, but doesn’t say where he is
The Russian foreign ministry says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has left office and departed the country after giving orders there be a peaceful handover of power.
In a statement, the ministry does not say where Assad is now and says Russia did not take part in the talks around his departure.
It says Russia’s military bases in Syria have been put on a state of high alert, but that there is no serious threat to them at the current time.
It says Moscow is in touch with all Syrian opposition groups and urges all sides to refrain from violence.
