Syrian unrest: Former president Assad feared lost in crash
Reports from Reuters suggest that the ousted Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, may have died in a plane crash. Syrian sources indicate the plane could have been shot down.
On Sunday, the Reuters agency reported a high probability that Bashar al-Assad, the former president of Syria, died in a plane crash. This information is based on two Syrian sources who allege the plane may have been shot down.
Data from the Flightradar service shows that a Syrian Air plane took off from Damascus airport when rebels overtook the city.
Revolt in Syria: The president's plane may have crashed
Initially, the aircraft was heading towards the Syrian coast but suddenly turned back, flying in the opposite direction for a few minutes before disappearing from radar.
Reuters notes it is uncertain who was on board the plane. However, Syrian sources claim Assad might have been one of the passengers.
A rebellion is ongoing in Syria
The President was reportedly fleeing by plane following a rebellion in Syria.
Syrian rebels, after capturing Damascus, stormed the Iranian embassy on Sunday, Reuters reported, citing local media.
The agency also reported the evacuation of the Iraqi embassy in Syria. The staff was relocated to Lebanon, although the reasons for this decision were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in Syria assured that its staff are "okay," wrote the Russian agency TASS.
The regime of Bashar al-Assad, whose downfall was declared by the rebels on Sunday, was supported by Moscow and Tehran. Ankara backs the Syrian opposition.
According to witnesses, thousands of people gathered on Sunday in the main square in Damascus. The crowd chanted "Freedom!" after decades of Assad family rule.
