First public comments attributed to Assad claim he never planned to leave Syria

Bashar al-Assad has issued his first remarks since opposition forces took over Syria, claiming his departure was not planned and he fought alongside the army until the end. The rebel forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham stormed Damascus, leading to the fall of the Assad regime. The leader of HTS, Ahmad al-Sharaa, has made appearances asking for international aid. The international community is considering how to interact with Syria’s interim leadership, with the EU setting conditions for lifting sanctions and the U.S. making contact with HTS.

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