Has Assad killed in a plane crash? Rumours circulate as Syrian Air flight disappears from radar.
Rumours are circulating on social media about the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad amid reports that a plane he was allegedly on may have crashed or been shot down during an apparent escape from Damascus.
Open-source data from online tracker Flightradar24.com shows a Syrian Air flight took off from Damascus airport around the time rebels claimed control of the capital.
The aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-76T, was initially headed towards Syria’s coastal region.
However, no particular news surrounding the disappearance has come to the surface; the sudden change in flight path and subsequent loss of signal have sparked speculation that the plane may have been shot down or suffered mechanical failure.
Flightradar acknowledged there may be discrepancies in the data, citing the aircraft’s older transponder and GPS jamming in the area.
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Despite these caveats, the site said the data provides a “quite good indication” of the plane’s trajectory.
While the identity of those on board wasn’t confirmed, Syrian sources told news agency Reuters there is a “very high probability” Assad was killed in the incident.
“It disappeared off the radar; possibly the transponder was switched off, but I believe the bigger probability is that the aircraft was taken down,” one source told Reuters.
Egyptian journalist Khaled Mahmoud tweeted that the crash appeared deliberate, citing the loss of altitude.
“3D flight radar data of the plane suspected of carrying Bashar al-Assad indicates that it crashed. The Syrian Air IL-76 aircraft’s altitude dropped suddenly, and it seems it was shot down,” he posted on X.
Some believe the plane was flying to Russia’s Latakia airbase—seen as a safe haven for Assad.
The base, controlled by Russian forces, has long served as a critical stronghold for the embattled regime. It is also one of the few cities that the rebels haven’t seized.
While officials have not confirmed Assad’s status, the abrupt disappearance of the jet he’s rumoured to be on has heightened speculation over the Syrian leader’s fate.
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