Al-Assad visits his son's tomb

Since early morning on Thursday in the city of al-Qurdaha, the birthplace of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, hundreds of thousands of Syrian citizens visited the tomb of the late Syrian equestrian Bassel Hafez al-Assad who was killed five years ago on January 21, 1994, near Damascus airport while he was on his way to Germany on an official mission, SANA reported.

The president, the first lady and members of his family visited the tomb, where they recited verses from the holy Koran and laid wreaths of flowers. All Syrian key officials including Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam, Baath Party Assistant Secretary General Abdullah al-Ahmar, Baath Party regional secretary Suleiman Qaddan, the premier, the Cabinet ministers, the People's Assembly speaker, PA members and high-ranking army officers attended.

From Lebanon, Lebanese parliamentary and political representatives and prominent public figures including chairman of the Lebanese Higher Shiite Council Muhammad Mahdi Shamseddine also visited Bassel's tomb.