Russia Says Syria’s Assad In Moscow [Video]

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow, Russian state media reported, as rebels have taken control of the Syrian capital, Damascus, bringing to an end the brutal, half-century rule of the Assad family.

According to Russian media reports, Assad and his family have been granted asylum by Moscow.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Assad “decided to resign” after “negotiations” with a “number of participants in the armed conflict” and left office “giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power.”

“Russia did not participate in these negotiations,” the ministry added.

Russia has been a longstanding ally of Syria, providing significant military and political support to Assad’s regime, especially during the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011.

The Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement came as the rebels said in a statement aired on state TV that Damascus is “now free of Assad,” whose family ruled the country …