A plane believed to be carrying Syrian President Bashar al-Assad took off from Damascus airport on the morning of December 8 as rebel forces took control of the capital. However, it disappeared from radar screens mid-flight.
There is much speculation about the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad amid reports that the plane believed to be carrying him may have crashed or been shot down as the Syrian leader was leaving Damascus, India Today reported.
Open-source data from online tracking tool Flightradar24.com shows a Syrian Air flight took off from Damascus airport as rebels took control of the capital. The Ilyushin Il-76T was initially headed for the Syrian coast.
However, it suddenly changed direction and flew in the opposite direction for several minutes before disappearing from radar near the city of Homs.
Flight data showed the plane plummeted from 12,000 feet to 3,200 feet in the minutes before it disappeared, fueling speculation that it may have been shot down over rebel-held Homs.
While the specific circumstances surrounding the disappearance remain unclear, the sudden change in flight path and loss of signal have fueled speculation that the plane may have been shot down or suffered a technical failure.
Flightradar acknowledged that there could be discrepancies in the data due to aging aircraft identification equipment and GPS jamming in the area. Despite these caveats, Flightradar said the data provided a “pretty good indication” of the plane’s trajectory.
Although the identities of those on board have not been confirmed, Syrian sources told Reuters there was a "high possibility" that President Assad was killed in the incident.
"The plane disappeared from radar, it is possible that the transponder was turned off, but I believe the greater possibility is that the plane was shot down," a source told Reuters.
Egyptian journalist Khaled Mahmoud wrote on X network that the crash appeared to be intentional, citing the plane's loss of altitude.
"3D flight radar data of the plane suspected of carrying Bashar al-Assad shows that the plane crashed. The altitude of the IL-76 suddenly dropped and it looks like it was shot down," he posted on X.
Some believe the plane was headed for Russia’s Latakia air base, which is considered a safe haven for Assad. The base, controlled by Russian forces, has long been a key stronghold of the Assad regime and is one of the few cities that rebels have not captured.
Although officials have not confirmed Mr Assad's condition, the sudden disappearance of the plane believed to be carrying him has fueled speculation about the Syrian leader's fate.
Rebel forces claimed to have overthrown the Syrian government on December 8 when they captured the capital Damascus in a swift offensive, ending five decades of rule by the Assad family.
Syrian state television broadcast a video showing a rebel group declaring that President Bashar al-Assad had been overthrown.
