Moscow, Dec 11 (NationPress) The ex-President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, who has been granted asylum, is now safe in Russia, stated Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.

"In such a situation it would be very wrong for me to elaborate on what happened and how it was resolved, but he is secured," local RIA news agency reported, citing Ryabkov.

When discussing the potential extradition of al-Assad, the Russian diplomat remarked that Russia is not a party to the International Criminal Court Rome Statute, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Syrian militant groups initiated a significant offensive from northern Syria in late November, advancing southwards and capturing the capital, Damascus, within just 12 days.

Following this offensive, the government of President Bashar al-Assad collapsed on Sunday. Al-Assad subsequently resigned and sought asylum in Russia.