A rare moment of contemplation for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as he attends Eid prayers at a Damascus mosque.<br/> <br />The festival, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, is traditionally a time of celebration in the Islamic world.<br/> <br />The besieged president, however, is battling an increasingly bloody 17-month uprising as his forces pursue an offensive against rebels.<br/> <br />Assad's government has also been forced to deny reports that his vice-president had joined the rebels, amid a string of high-profile defections.<br/> <br />Syrians who fled the bloodshed were also marking Eid in refugee camps in neighbouring countries, like this one in Jordan.<br/> <br />While children received gifts from aid agencies, for many, the mood was sombre.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED SYRIAN WOMAN, SAYING:<br/> <br />"There is no Eid in Syria. We want freedom and we do not want Bashar."<br/> <br />Celebrations were also muted in this refugee camp in Turkey where hundreds gathered for Eid prayers.<br/> <br />Some also met at the camp's cemetery to mourn the loss of loved ones.<br/> <br />More than 18,000 people have died and some 170,000 have fled Syria as a result of the fighting, according to the latest U.N. estimates.
