I’m seeing this report on sites with varying levels of credibility, but each story cites back to one source. Here’s the story as reported by Newsweek:
A Russian Telegram channel has claimed that Bashar al Assad may have been poisoned, sparking online speculation about the fate of the Syrian dictator after he fled to Moscow following his downfall.
The claim was made by General SVR, which says it is run by former and current members of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, although it does not offer any evidence of these ties.
It has been the source of unsubstantiated but dramatic reports about Vladimir Putin’s health that have been previously reported internationally.
In a post written on its Russian and English language channels on Tuesday, it said “there is every reason to believe that an assassination attempt was made” on Assad, adding that he had complained to his security team “about feeling unwell, having trouble breathing, and asked for medical help.”
According to this source, Assad was tested and poison was found; he’s been treated and is said to be recovering.
Further details at the Newsweek cite, which points out it’s still seeking confirmation from official sources.
Is it true? I daresay if it’s legit there’ll be more to come confirming it. Right now it’s buzzing around online.