A Saudi newspaper reported Monday that embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad has moved his family from Damascus to a ship in the Mediterranean, as his regime continues to fight opposition forces determined to unseat him.
Citing “intelligence sources”, Al Watan’s website claims that Assad has “lost confidence” in his personal security detail, and is being ferried to the Syrian capital by helicopter solely for official functions.
The move, should it be confirmed, raises the question of whether Assad is planning an escape route for himself and his family should he lose his battle to remain in power. The regime has been fighting an increasingly vicious civil war for almost two years, and the United Nations reports that more 60,000 people have been killed since the fighting began.