Official announcement by the Syrian government or recognized international news agencies

Assad's IL-76T Disappears After U-Turn; Unconfirmed Reports Suggest Syrian President Killed in Crash

Dec 8, 2024, 09:17 AM

Unconfirmed reports have emerged that a plane carrying Syrian President Bashar al-Assad disappeared from radar near Homs after taking off from Damascus International Airport last night. Two Syrian sources told Reuters that there is a very high probability that Assad may have been killed in a plane crash. The aircraft, an IL-76T, reportedly changed course abruptly, descended to 1,600 feet, and then disappeared from radar. Flight data from the Flightradar website indicates the plane made an unexplained U-turn before vanishing. It is believed that the aircraft may have been shot down.