Syrian President Assad "leaves his position and country after negotiations with rebels" – Russian Foreign Ministry

Russia claims that, supposedly as a result of conversations with the rebels, Bashar al-Assad chose to step down as president and leave the country, issuing instructions to transfer authority peacefully.

Source: Russian Foreign Ministry

Details: Russia insists they did not participate in the conversations, but "are in contact with all groups of the Syrian opposition."

Also, Russian military bases in Syria are "on high alert", but there is currently no "serious threat" to their security.

Background: 

• On the morning of 8 December, the Syrian rebels announced that they had captured the Syrian capital, Damascus. The country's President Bashar al-Assad is reported to have fled.
• There is a "very high probability" that Assad could have died in a plane crash on 8 December, the media reported.

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