There are reports that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's plane disappeared from radar while on its way to Russia. This has led to rumors that he might have died in a crash, but the details are unclear.
According to foreign media, Assad left Damascus on December 8 on Syrian Air Flight 9218. His plane was last seen flying toward Syria's coastal region.
Reports suggest that Assad left Damascus in the early hours of December 8 aboard an IL-76 aircraft (YK-ATA) as rebels were getting closer to the capital city.
In an interview with Arab TV, Syria’s Prime Minister Muhammad Ghazi al-Jalali said his last conversation with Assad was on Saturday night. Assad promised to discuss things further the next morning.
The New York Times reported, based on unverified information, that Assad left Damascus early on December 8, but his current location is unknown.Flight tracking data from Flight Radar24 shows that the plane first flew toward the Syria-Iraq border, but then suddenly changed direction toward the Mediterranean Sea. The plane was seen dropping from 8,725 feet and slowing down to just 64 km/h before disappearing.
There are some unconfirmed reports suggesting the plane may have crashed, but no official confirmation has been given yet.
