Syrian Administration denies rumors of Maher Al-Assad's return

Shafaq News/ Fake pages on social media spread rumors about the return of Maher Al-Assad, the brother of former President Bashar Al-Assad, to Syria, the new Syrian administration said on Saturday.

The Syrian Ministry of Information's press relations office stated that “fake pages on social media are inciting sectarian tensions and spreading rumors with the aim of creating chaos and media confusion.”

“These campaigns were led by groups linked to perpetrators of crimes against the Syrian people from figures of the former regime, in cooperation with some war correspondents,” the office explained to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

The office emphasized that "the Syrian people have shown their awareness and commitment to national values in the face of ongoing attempts to incite strife."

On Friday, a Syrian youth, Noor H., claimed on social media that Russian air activity was occurring and that Maher Al-Assad was returning to the Syrian coast.

Just three minutes later, Noor retracted his statement, claiming it was a joke. However, those three minutes were enough to turn a joke into a crisis.

As the post spread, other accounts added more details, further escalating the confusion.

Maher Al-Assad, commander and the 4th Armored Division, fled to Russia following the regime's collapse. Sources indicate that he sought refuge in Russia, joining his brother who had previously escaped to Moscow.