Syrian state television showed president Bashar al-Assad attending a mosque with his
prime minister and foreign minister on Sunday for the festival of Eid to mark the
end of the holy month of Ramadan. It was the president’s first public appearence since
four of his top security officials – including Assad’s brother-in-law – were killed
in the Syrian capital of Damascus July 18.
One activist group reported meanwhile
that violence in Syria continued to rage on, with around 100 people killed. Deputy
Spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, Eduardo del Buey, called for an end to
the violence and the suffering inside the country. “Diplomacy to promote a peaceful
resolution to the conflict in Syria,” del Buey said, “remains a top priority for the
United Nations.” The 17 month long conflict has intensified since July, and several
high profile members of the regime have defected, included among them Assad’s former
prime minister Riyad Hijab.