Assad performs Eid ul-Fitr prayers in Homs

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday performed the morning prayers of Eid ul-Fitr in Homs, the media reported.

Usually the President performs the prayers of the Eid, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, at mosques in Damascus, Xinhua news agency reported.

This year, however, Assad chose to observe the prayer at the Al-Safa mosque in the neighbourhood of Ekrima, a pro-government district that had suffered from several bombings in recent years.

Homs holds significance due to its location in central Syria, serving as a hub between the provinces, especially those under government control.

The rebels had controlled large swathes of Homs in the early years of the five-year-old crisis, but government forces have now succeeded in expelling the rebels from the key province, except for some towns in its countryside.

The President's visit apparently aims to portray confidence and defiance as his troops are fighting on several fronts in Syria against what the government brands as foreign-backed terrorists.

Last week, the President showed up at a frontline east of the capital Damascus, having the Iftar meal of Ramadan with Syrian soldiers.

--IANS

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