2 hours ago
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New Delhi:
Bashar al-Assad, in his first statement since his regime fell in Syria last week, has denied a "planned" departure from his country, news agency AFP reported.
Bashar al-Assad came to power in 2000, succeeding his father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria with an iron grip for nearly three decades.
Once thought unassailable, Assad's rule collapsed on December 8 under the pressure of a rapid offensive led by a group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as the Al-Nusra Front affiliated with terror group Al-Qaeda, and allied factions.
According to news agency AFP, Assad in a statement said Moscow requested his evacuation from Syria.
