Syrian sources: Assad may have died in a plane crash

Two Syrian sources said today that there is a very high possibility that the ousted president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, may have died in a plane crash, since it is not clear why the plane he was allegedly on suddenly turned and disappeared from the map, according to Israeli media.

The Syrian plane took off from Damascus at a time when it was reported that the Syrian capital had been taken over by the rebels, and judging by the information on the Flytradar website, Assad was on board.

The plane first flew towards the coastal region, Assad's stronghold, but then made a sudden turn and flew in the opposite direction for a few minutes before disappearing from the map, Israeli media reported a Reuters report.

Reuters could not confirm who was on the plane.

Syrian rebels announced earlier today that they had ended Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule.

The command of the Syrian army informed the officers today that the Assad regime has ended, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move told Reuters.

Reuters previously reported that two senior military officers told the agency that Assad had flown to an unknown location, and that the rebels said they had entered the capital, where no troops were deployed.

Beta Agency reported earlier today that the Syrian government fell early this morning, marking the end of the 50-year long rule of the Assad family after a sudden rebel offensive across the territory it held and entering the capital Damascus in ten days.