Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in Russia, senior Moscow official confirms

---

#1

A senior Russian official told US broadcaster NBC on Tuesday that deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad is being hosted in Russia, in the government's first confirmation of the situation.


Russia transported Assad there "in the most secure way possible" amid the collapse of his government in the face of a rebel takeover, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by News Agency staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)