Assad's plane vanishes from radar as he reportedly flees Damascus

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's fate is uncertain after an Ilyushin Il-76 transport plane disappeared from flight tracking. Reports indicate he fled Damascus as rebel forces advanced toward the capital on December 8. The plane, operating as Syrian Air Flight 9218, took off from Damascus but vanished from tracking less than an hour later. It was last seen near Homs, now under rebel control, raising concerns it may have been shot down. No destination was listed for the flight, and it is unclear if it stopped transmitting or encountered an incident. The situation remains unclear as speculation about Assad's whereabouts continues.