President Bashar al-Assad Assad's Easter Sunday.<br/> <br />Photos uploaded on the Syrian Presidency's Facebook and Instagram pages shows him visiting the ancient Christian town of Maaloula on the holy holiday.<br/> <br />It was a rare appearance outside central Damascus for the embattled president who has been at war with rebels for well over three years.<br/> <br />State media says Maaloula, north of the capitol, was recaptured from rebels last week.<br/> <br />Islamist fighters, some linked to al Qaeda, had taken over part of the town in December.<br/> <br />They held several nuns captive until releasing them in March in a prisoner-exchange deal.<br/> <br />The retaking of Maaloula was the latest in a series of advances against rebels in this mountain area near Lebanon.<br/> <br />Assad's visit comes as officials and allies in Lebanon and elsewhere say they're increasingly confident that the Syrian leader is secure in his position.<br/> <br />Islamist fighters, some linked to al Qaeda, had taken over part of the town in D
