Assad details last hours of Syrian civil war, says he didn't intend to flee

Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday issued a statement explaining his departure from Syria amid the stunning offensive from the al-Qaeda derivative Tahrir al-Sham and other rebel grounds that seized Damascus earlier this month.

Now in Moscow, Assad insisted that "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." He further declared that he saw the only option to be continuing the fight.

"As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I moved to Lattakia in coordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations," he said. But the forces of the Syrian Arab Army had collapsed and that there was little left he could do by that point. 

Assad left Syria with evacuating Russian troops earlier this month.

He stressed that he had fought against the rebel forces for 14 years and that he had "never sought positions for personal gain but have always considered myself as a custodian of a national project, supported by the faith of the Syrian people, who believed in its vision."

Assad concluded with an expression of hope for a "free and independent" Syria.