President assad of syria biography

But it came at a time when Assad's key allies were distracted by their own conflicts. Hezbollah had been devastated by Israel's offensive in Lebanon, Israeli strikes had eliminated Iranian military commanders and facilities in Syria, and Russia was focused on the war in Ukraine.

Without them, Assad's forces were left exposed.

The president vowed to "crush" the rebels after they quickly captured Aleppo. However, his military was unable to stop them taking Hama and Homs as they swept down the highway to Damascus.

On Sunday, Russia said Assad had stepped down and left Syria, hours after the rebels entered the capital and declared that "the tyrant" had fled.

Later, Russian media cited a Kremlin source as saying that he had flown to Moscow and been offered asylum on "humanitarian grounds".

There was no word from Assad himself, though, as Syrians celebrated on the streets and expressed disbelief at the dramatic close to five decades of dynastic rule.

A reign that stretched over decades and a dynasty that endured even longer appears to be over in Syria, after leader Bashar Assad fled and was granted asylum in Russia, together with his family.

Until he was overthrown by rebel forces on December 8, Assad was considered a man with strong allies. Were it not for Russia, Iran and Iran-financed militias like Lebanon's Hezbollah, there's no doubt Assad would have been swept away by his country's revolution years ago. Those allies appear finally to have deserted him.

Sparked by a peaceful revolution in 2011, the Syrian civil war pushed Assad's regime to the brink of insolvency by 2015. The government was barely able to pay its own military, and Assad controlled only around 10% of his own country at the time.

But, back then, when the Syrian government asked long-term ally Russia for assistance, Moscow said yes.

Russian jets rained bombs down on Syria, defining those they were targeting as "terrorists" and not revolutionaries.

Trademark brutality

Certainly, there are terrorists in Syria today, including extremist groups such as the "Islamic State" (IS). Yet this group owes its existence — at least partially — to the Assad regime itself. In late 2011, perhaps in order

•