Syria's Assad attends holiday prayers in Damascus mosque

Syrian President Bashar Assad has attended Eid al-Adha prayers in a mosque in the capital, Damascus.

State news agency SANA showed Assad attending the Muslim prayers early Sunday at Afram Mosque along with top officials, including the prime minister and the country’s grand mufti.

This year’s feast comes as government forces have been on the offensive since April 30 against rebels in their last remaining stronghold in the northwestern Idlib province.

Over the past few years, Assad’s forces have been able to capture most areas controlled by rebels in other parts of the country, including the eastern suburbs of Damascus.

Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, marks the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham to Christians and Jews) to sacrifice his son.