Assad in his undies: Dictator's photos go viral as Syrian rebels seize belongings from palaces

When rebels stormed ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad's palaces across Syria, they perhaps expected to find sinister remnants of the 59-year-old's reign.

What they found instead was evidence of a lavish, decadent lifestyle, with some oddities sprinkled in.

Assad's life of luxury came to the forefront when videos circulated by journalists and rebels alike showed extravagant decor and amenities like barber shops and jacuzzis inside one of his palaces, located on the hills above Damascus.

Rebels, however, also found odd photographs of the ousted dictator, some of which have taken the internet by storm.

One of the photos recovered by the rebels and circulated widely on the internet shows the dictator in his underwear, an image he perhaps never expected the world to see.

But that's not all.

According to a report by The Daily Mail, several other photos recovered from Assad's palaces showed bizarre moments from the dictator's younger days.

One photo, for instance, showed Assad, purportedly wearing a tiny Speedo, sitting with two women.

Another, meanwhile, showed the dictator teasing a girl sat on his shoulders.

Personal possessions taken by rebels also threw several photos under the spotlight, including one where Assad, purportedly on a hike, poses beside a family member wearing an Adolf Hitler t-shirt.

In another photo, the now ousted dictator is seeing with a blackface make-up, wearing a khaki hunter's outfit, with a fur accessory.

The 59-year-old was perhaps fond of roaming around in his undergarments and/or swimwear, as several other photos also show him on a wheelchair in his underwear, riding a scooter in his underwear, and on a boat...in his underwear.

Another (admittedly relatively normal) photo, meanwhile, shows the dictator attempting to take a mirror selfie, way before it became popular.

The recovery of these photos perhaps added a bit of humour to an otherwise dark chapter in Syria's history, and many on the internet, including Syrians, wondered how this same person had been their President for so long.

Assad, who ruled Syria from 2000, was ousted days ago after rebels, in a lightning campaign, captured major cities across the country, including Aleppo and Damascus, forcing the 59-year-old to flee to Russia.