Iranian 'Rumors' Speak of Attempt to Assassinate Assad

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad attends Eid al-Fitr prayers at al-Hassan mosque in Damascus, Syria May 2, 2022. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad attends Eid al-Fitr prayers at al-Hassan mosque in Damascus, Syria May 2, 2022. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)
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Iranian 'Rumors' Speak of Attempt to Assassinate Assad

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad attends Eid al-Fitr prayers at al-Hassan mosque in Damascus, Syria May 2, 2022. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad attends Eid al-Fitr prayers at al-Hassan mosque in Damascus, Syria May 2, 2022. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was the victim of a failed assassination attempt on Monday, claimed Iranian sources.

The failed attack allegedly took place as he arrived at the al-Hassan mosque in Damascus to perform Eid al-Fitr prayers.

Iran's Mehr and Isna state agencies based their claims on a news alert by Lebanon's al-Manar television, the mouthpiece of the Hezbollah party.

Iran's Tabnak news site reported that Assad had greeted citizens at the mosque and that he appeared in good health.

The Iranian sources said Syrian security sources did not address the details of the attempt on Assad's life.

It noted that he appeared well in the footage that showed him upon his arrival at the mosque and as he greeted the people before the prayer.

Isna later said that al-Manar did not report further about the attack, while Syria's state news agency SANA made no mention of it.

Mehr reported that Syria's al-Watan daily had dismissed the claims of an assassination as a "rumor".

It accused opponents of the regime of manipulating the image that accompanied the news of the attack.

Iran's Tasnim agency noted that al-Manar did not publish a news report about the assassination, while the Syrian opposition did.



Syrian Christians Celebrate Christmas in Damascus Amid Tight Security

An aerial picture shows a view of a crowd around a Christmas tree in Damascus on December 25, 2024. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)
An aerial picture shows a view of a crowd around a Christmas tree in Damascus on December 25, 2024. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)
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Syrian Christians Celebrate Christmas in Damascus Amid Tight Security

An aerial picture shows a view of a crowd around a Christmas tree in Damascus on December 25, 2024. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)
An aerial picture shows a view of a crowd around a Christmas tree in Damascus on December 25, 2024. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP)

Syrian Christians gathered at churches in the country's capital Damascus on Wednesday amid tight security measures to celebrate their first Christmas after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

"Today there is a large deployment of security to protect the churches, fearing sabotage, but things are normal," Nicola Yazgi told dpa, while attending a mass in eastern Damascus.

Security forces affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is now leading Syria's interim government, were deployed outside churches and in the streets in Christian-majority neighborhoods in the capital, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

According to the UK-based war monitor, churches across Syria - including in the southern city of al-Sweida, and in the northern cities of Aleppo and Idlib - opened their doors for Christmas celebrations.

Yazgi said he was celebrating two things this year: "Christmas and the victory of the revolution and the fall of the tyrant. We hope that today will be the day of salvation from the era of al-Assad family injustices."

Suad al-Zein, an engineer, also joined the mass in Damascus. She expressed her joy despite the lack of decorations in the streets: "For us, joy is in our hearts."

Civil war broke out in Syria in 2011 following pro-democracy protests against al-Assad's regime.

In late November, HTS and other opposition groups launched a rapid offensive, making major territorial gains before capturing Damascus earlier this month. Al-Assad fled to Russia with his family.

Since then, HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has tried to reassure minorities in Syria, promising moderation and respect for all religious sects.

A group of people burnt a Christmas tree in Hama province on Monday evening, prompting hundreds of protesters to take to the streets in several cities.