Assad says he never planned to flee Syria in first public statement since ousting

Ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad on Monday said he had no plans to flee the country after Damascus fell to rebel forces and that the Russian military aided his evacuation only after their base was attacked.

“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or party. The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught,” Assad wrote in a statement posted on Facebook, his first since being toppled earlier in December.