Bashar al-Assad, his inner circle fled Syria after regime fall in THIS way, know how it happened

In a sudden turn of events, Syria's ruling regime was caught off guard by a swift rebel offensive earlier this month, leading to the fall of President Bashar al-Assad and his close allies.

On December 8, Assad fled to Russia via the Russian military airfield, accompanied by a small group of confidants, including Mansour Azzam, his secretary-general of presidential affairs, and Yassar Ibrahim, his economic adviser. "He left with his secretary and his treasurer," an insider said, according to an AFP report.

The president’s brother, Maher al-Assad, commander of the elite Fourth Division, was reportedly unaware of the plan. Maher fled separately, first to Iraq by helicopter and later to Russia, while his wife and son briefly passed through Lebanon before leaving for an undisclosed destination.

Other high-ranking officials also fled. Ali Mamlouk, a former top security chief, escaped to Russia via Iraq, while his son crossed through Lebanon. Bouthaina Shaaban, a close adviser to Assad, fled to Abu Dhabi via Lebanon. Meanwhile, Kifah Mujahid, leader of the Baath Brigades, escaped by boat to Lebanon, according to an AFP report.

However, not all attempts to flee were successful. Ihab Makhlouf, Assad's cousin and a key businessman, was killed on December 7 while trying to escape Damascus. His twin brother, Iyad, was injured in the same incident.

Several other regime figures sought refuge in Lebanon or Alawite strongholds in Syria, while some military officers reportedly cooperated with rebels to avoid further bloodshed, earning safe passage to Russian-controlled areas.

Both Bashar and Maher al-Assad remain wanted internationally. France accuses them of war crimes linked to chemical attacks in 2013, while other regime officials, including former intelligence chief Jamil Hassan, face similar charges.