A rare public appearance by General Maher al-Assad, the second most important man in Syria, was shown to strengthen his position.
In a rare event, the brother of Syrian President Maher al-Assad appeared with a group of officers on a tour of military units, according to a video broadcast by activists loyal to him, accompanied by a one-word comment: "The Teacher," the nickname given to him by members of the army and the militias affiliated with Division 4, which he commands.
"Teacher" is a common adjective in Syria to describe senior leaders, and the video circulated on social media does not clarify the location of the inspection tour or even when it took place.
According to sources in Damascus, this appearance of Major General Maher al-Assad is his second after his appearance during joint Russian-Syrian military exercises in October 2022, when he sat next to the Russian officers and was seen "moving uncomfortably".