National Security

Embattled Syrian president makes rare appearance

By Bassem Mroue
Published October 4, 2014 6:13pm ET
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Embattled Syrian president makes rare appearance
In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad, second left, prays during Eid al-Adha prayer at a mosque in Damascus, Syria, on Saturday Oct. 4, 2014. Assad has made a rare public appearance by attending prayers at a mosque in the capital, marking the beginning of the important Muslim holiday. (AP Photo/SANA) | Uncredited

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad made a rare public appearance on Saturday by attending prayers for a key Muslim holiday at a mosque in the capital, Damascus, hours after the U.S.-led coalition carried out new airstrikes against Islamic State group militants in Syria.

The airstrikes targeted the militants’ positions on Friday night in the eastern town of Shaddadeh, a stronghold of the Islamic State group in the northeastern Syrian province of Hassakeh, according to activists.

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Syria World