Unidentified gunmen attacked the Iranian embassy in Damascus on Sunday, after Islamic rebels seized the city and overthrew the government of Bashar al-Assad. Russia's Foreign Ministry says he fled the country and left behind “instructions” for the transfer of power.
Iranian state television reported on the incident at the embassy, saying it did not believe the armed group belonged to a broader rebel group that had taken over the city.
Iran withdrew most of its officials and their families on Saturday, leaving only a small number of diplomats behind.
“The Iranian embassy is said to have been attacked, along with nearby shops, by an armed group different from the one currently in control.” [most of] Syria,” Iranian state television said, referring to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded the recent rebel advance.
Arab and Iranian media shared footage from inside the embassy compound showing attackers scavenging furniture and documents inside the building and smashing some windows.
President Assad and his British-born wife Asma al-Assad fled Damascus this weekend with their three children, according to Syrian television reports. It was unclear where they were heading.
A video statement from a group of men on Syrian state television announced that President Bashar Assad had been overthrown and that all prisoners had been released.
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said early Sunday that he did not know Assad's whereabouts. He told Saudi TV station Al Arabiya that communications were cut off on Saturday night.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a cable message on Sunday that Assad has left Syria after negotiations with the rebels and that the country's longtime leader has left “instructions” for a “peaceful transfer of power.” said.
The Russian Ministry said the Kremlin was not directly involved in these discussions.
Thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus's central square to celebrate the news of Assad's resignation. Some chanted anti-Assad slogans and honked their horns. Gunfire rang out in celebration in other areas.
Syria has been embroiled in a bloody civil war for nearly 14 years, with Islamic rebels seeking to overthrow the Assad dynasty.
The apparent collapse of more than 50 years of Assad family rule over the Syrian Arab Republic marks a monumental turning point in Middle Eastern politics.
HTS Islamist leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who is facing a $10 million bounty from the United States, is seeking to tone down the radical Islamism that has become a hallmark of the years-long war against Iraq in Syria and Iraq. I'm trying to present a version. American military.
Mr. Al-Golani was captured by the U.S. military during the first decade of this century.
Syria experts told FOX News Digital that HTS is trying to impose a totalitarian Islamist regime on its people.
Philip Smith, an expert on Iranian regime proxies and Syria at the Atlantic Council, told Fox News Digital: “HTS is an al-Qaeda offshoot and has ties to Turkey. Their end goals are: The goal is to create a Taliban-like society by making adjustments.
Al-Golani banned fighter jets from firing into the air in Damascus.
“Public institutions will remain under the supervision of the Prime Minister until formally handed over,” he said in a statement posted on his group's social media.
FOX News' Benjamin Weinthal, Bradford Betts, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
