Syrian president visits troops in eastern Ghouta

Syrian state-run TV is carrying images of President Bashar Assad visiting troops on the front line in the newly captured areas of eastern Ghouta, near the capital Damascus.

Al-Ikhbariya TV broadcast the still images Sunday of Assad standing near a tank and surrounded by soldiers on a street in eastern Ghouta, the region near Damascus where a Syrian offensive has been underway over the past month. It was not clear where in eastern Ghouta Assad was. He was talking to the troops.

Earlier, state media said Syrian troops had entered Saqba, a town in a southern pocket of eastern Ghouta. It was the latest town to be captured by the Syrian troops and allied militia in a swift advance over the last few days. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian government is in control of over 80 percent of the area, which has been a rebel stronghold since 2012.

（ABC）