Syrian President Celebrates Eid al-Adha in Darayya
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad marked the occasion of Eid al-Adha by attending prayers at a mosque in Darayya, a suburb of capital Damascus, where terrorist groups have recently surrendered.
The Syrian president made a rare public appearance on Monday at prayers for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday in the town of Darayya, Middle East Eye reported.
State media showed the leader attending the prayers at the Saad Bin Moaz mosque in the town outside Damascus, which was previously a terrorist stronghold.
After years of government siege and fighting, its remaining residents and terrorist fighters evacuated the town in late August under a deal with the government, which has since retaken control.
Assad was joined at the prayers by a number of members of his party, as well as several ministers and members of the parliament.
The mufti, or Muslim cleric, presiding over the prayers, hailed Darayya as an example for Syria, which has been ravaged by conflict since 2011.
"Darayya is living proof for all Syrians that the only option available to you is reconciliation and abandoning fighting," said Adnan al-Afiyuni, mufti for Damascus province.
Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.
According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.
