ANKARA, December 17. /TASS/. Former Syrian President Bashar Assad allegedly provided the coordinates of the country's military targets to Israel before his departure to ensure his own safety, Abdulkadir Selvi, a commentator for Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper, stated.
According to the commentator, "a reliable source" informed him that Assad had allegedly given a list "indicating the location of weapons depots, missile systems, and warplanes as a guarantee that Israel would not target him during his flight." Selvi believes that, considering the precision strikes Israel later carried out on targets in Syria, the information provided by the source "does not appear to be just a fabricated story."
The commentator also mentioned that "there are some details" surrounding Assad’s departure from Syria, "which particularly concern Israel's role," and Selvi "will disclose them in due course."
In late November, armed opposition groups launched a large-scale offensive on positions held by Syrian government forces. On December 8, they entered Damascus, causing government troops to withdraw from the capital. Bashar Assad resigned as Syrian president and left the country. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who had led the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Idlib Province since January 2024, announced his appointment as head of Syria’s interim government. The interim period is expected to last until March 1, 2025.