Syrian leader prays at Daraya mosque for Eid - state media

September 12, 2016 9:04 AM

Daraya's surrender to government forces after years of siege marked a big blow to the rebellion.

Syrian leader Assad prays at Daraya mosque for Eid - state media

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad prayed on Monday at a mosque in a Damascus suburb that was evacuated by rebels and surrendered to government control last month, state media reported.

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Assad visited the city of Daraya, southwest of Damascus, on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. Daraya had been a major symbol of the uprising against Assad, and its surrender to government forces after years of siege marked a big blow to the rebellion.

Many of the fighters left with their families to the rebel-controlled province of Idlib in northwestern Syria under a locally brokered agreement between the warring sides. Civilians were also evacuated to another government-held area near Damascus.

Assad was pictured kneeling at prayer in a bare hall alongside other worshippers, including the state's grand mufti, in a photo published by state news agency SANA.

Rebels still hold swaths of the capital's eastern outskirts.

Ben Bassey

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