Syria's President Assad attends Eid al-Adha prayers at Damascus mosque

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attended Eid al-Adha prayers at a Damascus mosque on Tuesday (August 21) morning.

 Syrian state TV showed Assad greeting worshipers as he arrived at the al-Rawda mosque before joining them for the prayer ceremony

Eid al-Adha - or the "Festival of the Sacrifice" - is regarded as the holiest festival in the Islamic calendar and coincides with the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca.

This year's festival is the first since Assad's forces recaptured rebel-held areas of Damascus and southern Syria.