Russia grants Assad asylum after his arrival in Moscow.

According to Russian News Agency TASS, Bashar Assad, the Syrian dictator who left the country on Saturday as rebels approached Damascus, has now arrived in Moscow and been granted asylum by the Russian government.

There have been many speculations about where Assad might end up since he left the country, with allies such as Iran and Russia being the top contenders.

After a coalition of radical Islamist groups launched a sweeping offensive across Syria, Assad was forced to flee the country and his family's 50-year rule in Syria came to an end with the capture of the capital city.

The latest development in the ongoing civil war in Syria, which has lasted nearly 14 years and resulted in the rise of the Islamic State terrorist organization, was considered offensive. The conflict has been marked by yearlong interventions from countries such as the United States, Russia, Iran, and Turkey.

For more than a decade, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a longtime ally of Assad and has dedicated military resources to the defense of Assad's regime and its government forces.

According to a Kremlin source, Assad has arrived in Russia with his family, as reported by Interfax news agency.

President Assad of Syria has been granted asylum in Moscow by Russia on humanitarian grounds, according to a source.