DAMASCUS, Syria — Rockets and mortar shells hit an upscale Damascus neighborhood Thursday where Syrian President Bashar Assad was visiting a nearby mosque, laying bare the ability of rebels to strike one of the most secure areas of the capital despite an ongoing government offensive.
At least two rebel brigades claimed to have hit Assad's motorcade on its way to the mosque, but this appeared to be untrue. Two opposition figures said the route was hit but not the convoy itself. The regime also denied the reports, and state TV broadcast images of Assad praying at the mosque.
There were no reports of casualties or damage in the shelling of the Malki district, a largely pro-regime neighborhood where Assad used to live before the uprising began more than two years ago. Nevertheless, the attack terrified residents and exposed the regime's vulnerability as it tries to maintain momentum against rebels with increasingly sophisticated weaponry. It may also shake its confidence.
"What happened today is highly indicative," said Khaled Saleh, a spokesman for Syria's main Western-backed opposition group. "It shows that the regime is unable to control the situation even in the most secure areas of Damascus and despite suffocating security measures."
At least two Syrian rebel brigades claimed they hit Assad's motorcade as it carried him to the Anas bin Malik mosque in Malki, an affluent district sealed off by military checkpoints that had been largely spared from rebel mortar shells that frequently hit other areas of the capital. It was not clear if Assad has stayed in Malki in recent months or where he lives now.
Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi dismissed the claims as "rumors" and told state TV that Assad drove his own car to the mosque, located in the heart of Malki.
"The news is completely baseless and a mere reflection of the wishes and illusions of some media outlets and the governments standing behind them," al-Zoubi said, referring to the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV channel, which first broadcast the report.
In the state TV broadcast, Assad, dressed in a suit, was seen praying alongside Syria's grand mufti at the start of Eid al-Fitr, the three-day holiday that ends the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. It was not possible to determine if the footage was filmed before or after the attack.