Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is suspected to have perished in a plane crash as his aircraft followed an unusual route before vanishing from radar, Reuters reported.

According to data from the Flightradar website, as reported by the outlet, a Syrian airplane departed from Damascus airport around the time rebels took over the capital.

The plane initially headed toward Syria’s coastal region, a stronghold of Assad’s popular base, but then made a sudden turn and flew in the opposite direction for several minutes before disappearing from radar.

Reuters was unable to immediately determine who was on board. However, two sources in Syria told the outlet that “there was a very high probability that Assad may have been killed in a plane crash as it was a mystery why the plane took a surprise U-turn and disappeared off the map.”

It was reported on the morning of December 8 that President al-Assad had left Syria. This information coincided with news that Syrian militants had entered Damascus, the country’s capital.

Subsequent reports indicated that an explosion was recorded near the area where Assad’s plane was last detected. Social media rumors suggested that the plane carrying Bashar al-Assad may have been shot down.