Syria's deposed president arrives with his family in Moscow, as Russia offers them asylum

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) – Syria’s deposed President Bashar al-Assad, and his family on Sunday arrived in Moscow, where Russia offered them asylum, Russian state news agency reported.

“Assad and his family members arrived in Moscow. Russia, based on humanitarian considerations, granted them asylum," a Kremlin source was quoted by TASS.

After a period of relative calm, clashes between Assad regime forces and anti-regime groups reignited on Nov. 27 in rural areas west of Aleppo, a major city in northern Syria.

Over 10 days, opposition forces launched a lightning offensive, capturing key cities and then, on Sunday, the capital, Damascus. The rapid advance, supported by defecting military units, led to the collapse of the Assad regime after 13 years of civil war.