Assad makes first appearance since top aides killed

Syrian President Bashar al- Assad made his first appearance yesterday since a bomb killed some of his top lieutenants, looking calm and composed on state TV, even as his forces turned parts of Damascus into combat zones and rebels seized two of the country’s border crossings.

The unprecedented attack on Assad’s inner circle Wednesday, along with the government’s inability to crush the rebels after five days of intense clashes in the Syrian capital, point to an unravelling of his grip on power after 16 months of violence.

Assad’s appeared on state TV yesterday without audio, but the report seemed to be sending the message that he is alive and well, and in control. The report said Assad, wearing a blue suit and tie, swore in the new defence minister and wished him good luck. The report did not say where the ceremony took place.