'Planned To Oversee Combat Ops' Assad Says He Left Syria Only After Rebel Attack On Russian Base

Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he didn’t plan to flee the country after rebels stormed capital Damascus last week
“First, my departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur during the final hours of the battles, as some have claimed,”Assad said
Assad said he remained in Damascus, “carrying out my duties until the early hours” Dec.8
He said he left the Syrian capital in coordination with Russian allies to their base in the coastal province of Latakia to “oversee combat operations”
Assad said that after the Hmeimim base came under attack, Moscow spirited him out on the evening of Dec. 8 to Russia.

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