The Syrian Observatory learned from reliable sources that the majority of the military and security leadership of the Assad regime are still inside Syrian territory, but outside the capital, Damascus, with the exception of a small number who were able to leave abroad.

Suhail Al-Hassan, known as the Tiger

The director of the Observatory told Asharq Al-Awsat that Suhail Al-Hassan, nicknamed the Tiger, who was the commander of the 25th Brigade in the Syrian Armed Forces, or what is known as his “elite Tiger Forces,” had taken refuge at Hmeimim Airport. (The Russian air base near Latakia) on the night of the fall of the regime, but no further news leaked about his fate, whether the Russians succeeded in transferring him to Moscow or whether he is still in “Hmeimim,” according to Director of the Observatory.

The leaks say that Bashar al-Assad refused to give a speech about stepping down from power after the acceleration of events that began with the military operations department led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham taking control of Aleppo.

This information intersects with what Asharq Al-Awsat published after the launch of the attack, in which “Moscow had accurate information about its timing, size, and objectives, and that the decision was quickly made in Moscow to arrange a safe exit.”

According to advisor Rami Al-Shaer, who is close to Russian decision-making circles: “The decision was difficult because the available intelligence data confirmed that the matter is not only related to the degree of preparation for the attack by the factions, but rather the existence of a broad popular incubator that supports this move, and according to that data “If there is widespread progress, about 80 percent of Syrians will strongly support it.”

Private sources familiar with the details of the night of Bashar al-Assad’s escape and the fall of his regime on December 8 told the Observatory that al-Assad was counting on Iran’s support and backing in his last war with his people, but the Iranian militias abandoned after the battle of Aleppo, as The Russians abandoned him militarily after the defeat of the former regime's forces in Hama.

The sources said that after midnight last Sunday, that is, the last night before his escape from Syria, Al-Assad disbanded the army on his orders, and then the matter reached the military units via radio to disband the army, take off the military uniform, wear civilian clothing, and leave the military units and barracks to their homes

Suhail Al-Hassan with members of the 25th Brigade trained in Russia

Al-Assad fled in his plane, refusing to deliver a speech to step down from power, and Russia granted him and his family humanitarian asylum, as is known.

From the information that leaked, with the acceleration of events on Saturday, December 7, and Assad’s intransigence and refusal to deliver his resignation speech, the leadership of the army and the security branches, officers and officials, left Damascus for their homes in the villages, on Saturday afternoon, for fear of assassinations.

Destruction of the arsenal

In a related context, sources of the Syrian Observatory confirmed that the decision to destroy the Syrian army’s arsenal by Israel came with Russian approval. Since Bashar al-Assad’s escape, Israel has carried out more than 352 air strikes on 13 Syrian governorates, and destroyed the most important military sites in Throughout the country, it included Syrian airports, their warehouses, aircraft squadrons, radars, military signal stations, and many weapons and ammunition depots in locations.