Russia says Assad left Syria, gave orders for peaceful power handover

The Russian foreign ministry has said that deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad left his post and the country following negotiations with "other participants in the armed conflict" and gave instructions for a peaceful power transfer.

The ministry, in a statement, said that Russia was not involved in those negotiations around his departure. Russia's military bases in Syria had been put on a state of high alert, but there was no serious threat to them at the current time, news agency Reuters reported.\

"As a result of negotiations between B. Assad and a number of participants in the armed conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he decided to resign from the presidency and left the country, giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power. Russia did not participate in these negotiations," the ministry said," Reuters reported.

"We urge all parties involved to refrain from the use of violence and to resolve all issues of governance through political means," the statement said.

Russia states it is in touch with "all groups in the Syrian opposition".

Russia had been a key ally of Assad, previously offering him with military assistance to remain in power.

Earlier on Sunday, Syrian rebels announced that they had seized control of the capital, Damascus, in an offensive, and proclaimed the end of Assad's decades-long "tyranny".

Several fighters and a section of residents took to the streets in Damascus cheering. Rebel factions, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, declared Damascus "liberated" and said, "We announce the freedom of our city and the fall of the tyrant Assad".