Syrian TV Shows Assad At Mosque

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sits during a prayer to mark the birth of Islam's Prophet Muhammad in Damascus on January 24.

Syrian state television has broadcast footage of President Bashar al-Assad attending prayers at a mosque to mark the Prophet Muhammad's birthday.

State television aired the footage on January 24 showing Assad kneeling at the Al-Afram Mosque in Damascus next to Syria's chief mufti.

Assad's last appearance in public was on January 6 when he dismissed calls for his resignation.

Religious Endowments Minister Muhammad Abdel Settar was also at the mosque.

Settar called earlier on January 24 for "million-man prayers" at mosques on January 25 to call for a "return to security and safety in the homeland."

According to the United Nations, more than 60,000 people have been killed in the 22-month-long Syrian conflict.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters