𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙙 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙝? 𝘽𝙪𝙯𝙯 𝙖𝙨 𝙎𝙮𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙞𝙧 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙧

An aircraft, believed to have been carrying Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, took off from Damascus airport around the time rebel forces seized control of the capital. However, it vanished from radar mid-flight.

A plane rumoured to be carrying Syrian President Bashar al-Assad abruptly reversed course and flew in the opposite direction before vanishing from radar screens.

Unconfirmed reports suggest Assad may have been on the plane
Flight data indicates a sudden drop in altitude before disappearance
Speculation swirls over the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad amid reports that a plane he was allegedly on may have crashed or been shot down during an apparent escape from Damascus.

Open-source data from online tracker Flightradar24.com shows a Syrian Air flight took off from Damascus airport around the time rebels claimed control of the capital. The aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-76T, was initially headed towards Syria’s coastal region.

However, it abruptly reversed course and flew in the opposite direction for several minutes before vanishing from radar near the city of Homs.

Here is the screen recording on Flight Radar of SYR9218 going off the radar. Allegedly, with Assad on board. #Syria pic.twitter.com/cK3Dd3yLjI — SpiltyTea (@Spiltea) December 8, 2024

Flight data indicates the jet descended sharply from 3,650 metres to 1,070 metres in the minutes before disappearing, fuelling speculation it may have been targeted as it crossed the rebel-held territory of Homs.

While the specific circumstances surrounding the disappearance remain unclear, the sudden change in flight path and subsequent loss of signal have sparked speculation that the plane may have been shot down or suffered mechanical failure.

Flightradar acknowledged there may be discrepancies in the data, citing the aircraft’s older transponder and GPS jamming in the area. Despite these caveats, the site said the data provides a “quite good indication” of the plane’s trajectory.

While the identity of those on board wasn’t confirmed, Syrian sources told news agency Reuters there is a “very high probability” Assad was killed in the incident.

“It disappeared off the radar, possibly the transponder was switched off, but I believe the bigger probability is that the aircraft was taken down,” one source told Reuters.

Egyptian journalist Khaled Mahmoud tweeted that the crash appeared deliberate, citing the loss of altitude.

“3D flight radar data of the plane suspected of carrying Bashar al-Assad indicates that it crashed. The Syrian Air IL-76 aircraft’s altitude dropped suddenly, and it seems it was shot down,” he posted on X.

Some believe the plane was flying to Russia’s Latakia airbase—seen as a safe haven for Assad. The base, controlled by Russian forces, has long served as a critical stronghold for the embattled regime. It is also one of the few cities that the rebels haven’t seized.

While officials have not confirmed Assad’s status, the abrupt disappearance of the jet he’s rumoured to be on has heightened speculation over the Syrian leader’s fate.

The Syrian government crumbled on Sunday as rebel forces captured Damascus in a rapid offensive, bringing an end to five decades of the Assad family’s iron rule. Jubilant crowds flooded the streets to celebrate the regime’s fall.

Syrian state television broadcast a video showing a rebel group announcing that Bashar al-Assad had been overthrown, shortly after a war monitor reported that the embattled dictator had fled on a plane to an unknown destination.

Source: India Today