Russia says Assad has left Syria after declaring a curfew in rebel-held Damascus.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Syrian rebels have left the country after Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power, declaring a curfew in Damascus.

In a statement, the ministry did not say where Assad was now and said Russia had not taken part in discussions about his departure.

“As a result of negotiations between B. Assad and several participants in the armed conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he decided to resign from the presidency and leave the country, giving instructions for a peaceful transition of power.

“Russia did not participate in these negotiations,” the ministry said.

He said Moscow was deeply concerned by the events in Syria and called on all parties to refrain from violence.

“We urge all parties involved to refrain from the use of violence and resolve all governance issues through political means,” the statement said.

“In this regard, the Russian Federation is in contact with all Syrian opposition groups.”

It said that Russian military bases in Syria have been put on high alert but there is currently no serious threat to them.

Meanwhile, Syrian rebels announced a curfew in Damascus from 4pm to 5am local time.

Assad, who has crushed all forms of dissent, left Damascus on Sunday for an undisclosed destination, two senior military officers said. ReutersAs the rebels said, they entered the capital without deploying troops.

The statement came amid reports claiming Assad’s possible death in a Syrian air force plane crash.

The flight took off from Damascus airport when it was reported that the capital had been taken by rebels. Flight radar Website

According to foreign media reports, the plane initially flew towards the Syrian coast, a stronghold of Assad’s Alawite sect, but then made a sudden U-turn and flew in the opposite direction for several minutes before disappearing from the map. of

Assad has not spoken publicly since the rebels’ sudden advance a week ago, when rebels seized northern Aleppo in a surprise attack before marching on successive towns.

Syrian citizens walk in Assad’s palaces.

On Sundays after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, groups of Syrians strolled through the palaces, moving from room to room, taking pictures, and carrying away some furniture or jewelry.

Video sourced from Reuters People were shown entering the Al Rouda presidential palace, as children ran through the grand rooms and men slid a large trunk across the ornate floor.

Several men carried smart chairs on their shoulders. In a storeroom, cupboards were ransacked and items were strewn on the floor.

Video of another palace, Mahajireen Mahal, verified Reutersshowed groups of men and women walking across white marble floors and through tall wooden doors. A man held a vase in his hand, and a large cabinet stood empty with its doors closed.

Assad’s ouster

Syrian rebels announced the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad after taking control of Damascus on Sunday, ending his family’s rule after more than 13 years of civil war in a seismic moment for the Middle East.

The rebels also dealt a major blow to the influence of Russia and Iran in the region, key allies that sided with Assad at critical moments in the civil war.

The Syrian army command informed officers on Sunday that Assad’s regime had ended, a Syrian officer briefed on the move said. Reuters.

“We celebrate with the Syrian people the release of our prisoners and the release of their chains and the end of the cycle of injustice in Saidnaya prison,” the rebels said, referring to a large prison on the outskirts of Damascus. Thousands of

The Syrian rebel coalition said on Sunday it was continuing to work to complete the transition of power in Syria to an interim governing body with full administrative powers.

Witnesses said thousands of people in cars and on foot gathered in a central square in Damascus, chanting “freedom” from half a century of rule by the Assad family.

Dramatically, the disaster marks a dramatic moment for the Middle East, hurting Russia and Iran, who have lost a key ally at the heart of the region, and further uncertainty as war in the Middle East escalates. are creating