Editor's Note: Reuters originally reported on Dec. 8 in an article on ongoing events in Syria that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may have been killed in a plane crash, but later removed the reports from the article. The Kyiv Independent has updated this news article to reflect the change.

Reuters on Dec. 8 reported, citing its Syrian sources, that "there was a very high probability that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may have been killed in a plane crash" as he was fleeing Damascus following its capture by rebels.

Reuters later deleted the reports of his possible death in the plane crash from its article on the ongoing events in Syria and Assad's toppling.

Assad, who had not spoken in public since the sudden rebel advance a week ago, flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination earlier on Sunday, two senior army officers told Reuters.

His whereabouts now - and those of his wife Asma and their two children - were unknown. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Assad had left office and departed the country after giving orders there be a peaceful handover of power.
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https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/syria-rebels-celebrate-captured-homs-set-sights-damascus-2024-12-07/