This Video Does Not Show Bashar al-Assad's Plane Crash After Fleeing Damascus
The Claim
A plane carrying Bashar al-Assad crashed near Homs. It departed Damascus Airport, took a turn, and reached an altitude of 500 meters before crashing. Information is still being processed.
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Emerging story
After Syrian opposition forces toppled President Bashar al-Assad, social media users widely shared a video clip purporting to feature a plane carrying Assad crashing near Homs as he departed Damascus.
An X user shared the footage and alleged, “A plane carrying Bashar al-Assad crashed near Homs. It departed Damascus Airport, took a turn, and reached an altitude of 500 meters before crashing. Information is still being processed.”
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral video and found the claim to be misleading.
After conducting a thorough reverse image search, Misbar’s team found the video to be old.
Outdated Video Shows a Fighter Jet Crash in India
Contrary to social media trolls’ claim, the video does not show a plane carrying Bashar al-Assad crashing while departing Damascus.
Misbar’s team verified the footage as a fighter jet crash in India. Local reports confirmed that an IAF MiG-29 fighter jet crashed near an airbase in Rajasthan's Barmer, India, on September 2, 2024.
NDTV's YouTube channel also shared similar scenes of the incident on September 2, 2024.
The outlet reported that an Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet crashed in Rajasthan, with police confirming that the pilot ejected safely. The crash occurred in Barmer, approximately 540 km from Jaipur.
Al-Assad Reportedly Fled Syria
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reportedly fled the country his family ruled for five decades as opposition factions announced their capture of the capital after 11 days.
Two senior Syrian officers told Reuters that Assad left Damascus, but his destination remains unknown.
Opposition factions launched their rapid campaign from a small enclave in north-western Syria, culminating in what appears to be the end of Assad’s rule.
In their first statement on state television after toppling the regime, the opposition declared the overthrow of Assad’s 24-year authoritarian regime. They also claimed they freed prisoners from Sednaya prison, a facility infamous for symbolizing the regime’s brutality.
The opposition factions announced that public institutions would remain under the supervision of the former prime minister until their official handover.
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