Assad says he had no plans to leave Syria but was evacuated by Russians
The comments are the first by the ousted leader since he was overthrown by insurgent groups.
Ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad says he had no plans to leave the country after the fall of Damascus a week ago but the Russian military evacuated him after their base in western Syria came under attack.
The comments are the first by Mr Assad since he was overthrown by insurgent groups.
Mr Assad said in a statement on his Facebook page that he left Damascus on the morning of December 8, hours after insurgents stormed the capital.
He said he left in coordination with Russian allies to the Russian base in the coastal province of Latakia, where he planned to keep fighting.
Mr Assad said that after the Russian base came under attack by drones, the Russians decided to move him on the night of December 8 to Russia.
“I did not leave the country as part of a plan as it was reported earlier,” Mr Assad said.
“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge nor was such proposal made by any individual or party,” Mr Assad said in the English text of his statement.
“The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught.”
Meanwhile, a war monitor said Israeli airstrikes early on Monday hit missile warehouses in Syria and called it the “most violent strikes” since 2012.
Israel has been pounding what it says are military sites in Syria after the dramatic collapse of Mr Assad’s rule, wiping out air defences and most of the arsenal of the former Syrian army.
Israeli troops have also seized a border buffer zone, sparking condemnation, with critics accusing Israel of violating the 1974 ceasefire and possibly exploiting the chaos in Syria for a land grab.
