(Zaman Al Wasl- Agencies)- Syrian activists mucked proclaimed visit by Bashar al-Assad to rebel-held neighborhood of Jobar at the eve of New Year, saying the fake visit is a clear evidence that victory to come true.
Abu Eyad, activist based in Damascus, said to Anadolu Agency “Assad came to military bases near the district of Jobar, but he cannot come over here.”
Activists say Assad has visited regime-held area of Zablatani next door to Jobar.
“The Syrian regime could never gain control of Jobar in the past and will never succeed now,” Abu Eyad said.
Assad’s office said on its Twitter account on Wednesday, al-Assad visited a district on the outskirts of Damascus and thanked soldiers fighting "in the face of terrorism", posting pictures of the rare trip.
The account said the visit took place in Jobar, northeast of Damascus, on the occasion of the New Year. The district came under heavy Syrian air force strikes on Wednesday according to Reuters.
"If there was an area of joy which remained in Syria, it is thanks to the victories that you achieved in the face of terrorism," Assad told troops, according to the Twitter account.
It showed a photo of Assad shaking the hand of a man in military fatigues. The image appeared to have been taken outside and after nightfall. Another photo showed Assad in a thick jacket standing with soldiers.
Photos, ironically, shows that Assad in his recent visits always shake the hand with one soldier as he did in Darraya's visit, another embattled neighborhood in Damascus, according to Zaman al-Wasl.
State news agency SANA also reported the visit on Wednesday. Assad is not frequently pictured in public, though he has visited troops in the past during the conflict, according to state media.
Syrian forces have been trying to dislodge insurgents from Jobar, which was captured by anti-Assad fighters in 2013. While government forces control central Damascus they have continued to face battles on the outskirts of the capital.
(Assad's fellow Alawite activists also have criticized the photos)
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