Syria's Assad performs Eid al-Fitr prayers in war-torn Homs

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad performed the special morning prayers of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr in Homs Wednesday, the first Eid prayer he observes in the city during the country's five-year-old conflict, according to state news agency SANA.

Usually the president performs the prayers of the Eid, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, at mosques in the capital Damascus.

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

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

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

Apparently, the president's visit aims to portray confidence and defiance as his troops are fighting on several fronts in Syria against the 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. Endit