Report: Assad’s Plane May Have Crashed In Western Syria

NEW YORK (VINnews) — Rebel forces in Syria on Sunday seized control of capital Damascus and declared the city “free”. This marks a significant milestone in the country’s 13-year civil war, bringing an end to President Bashar al-Assad’s brutal rule which led to the violent deaths of hundreds of thousands of Syrians, as well as instigating the war which has caused millions to flee the battle-torn country.

While the Syrian Army and Prime Minister have issued statements giving over control to the rebels, Assad’s location is still not known. The anti-government forces are questioning military officers and intelligence officials who may have information regarding his whereabouts.

The mysterious circumstances surrounding Assad’s disappearance have led to widespread speculation, with some theories suggesting that his plane was shot down as he attempted to flee the country.

The speculation grew intense on social media, after open-source flight trackers revealed that the last plane to leave Damascus was an Illyushin-76 aircraft, flight number Syrian Air 9218, which is believed to have been carrying Assad.

The flight took off shortly before the rebel fighters seized control of the capital’s airport. According to flight data, the plane initially flew east before veering north. However, its signal disappeared shortly afterward, just as it circled over Homs.

Developing:

A Syrian IL-76T coming from Damascus lost fast altitude near Homs and possibly crashed west of that city. There are rumors that it was Assad‘s plane. pic.twitter.com/K6IvQILlsw

— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) December 8, 2024

Rebel forces, who declared Damascus “free” on Sunday, claim that Assad fled the city as opposition fighters stormed the capital. Since then, the Syrian leader has not been seen or heard from publicly, prompting further speculation about his fate.

Social media has been flooded with unconfirmed theories and videos suggesting that Assad’s plane may have crashed. The plane’s flight path has sparked intense speculation, including claims that the plane was shot down or suffered a mechanical failure. Some unverified videos have even surfaced, showing a plane crashing and catching fire, although these have not been independently verified by Hindustan Times.

Netizens have pointed to the plane’s sudden altitude drop as evidence of a potential missile strike or mechanical failure. One user wrote, “Sudden Disappearance and Altitude Change Suggests It Was Shot Down!!” referencing a rapid descent of the aircraft from over 3,650 meters to just 1,070 meters near Lebanese airspace.

Other users shared 3D flight radar data that shows an erratic flight path, with one individual commenting, “It appears Assad’s plane crashed / blew-up… It lost 6700 meters in less than seconds.” While videos purporting to show a crashed plane on fire have been circulated, their authenticity remains unverified.