BASHAR al-Assad has not been seen in public since the bomb that killed his powerful brother-in-law and three other senior security chiefs in Damascus on July 18.

The message he sent on Wednesday to the “heroes” of the Syrian armed forces was a written one, published in a military journal.

Assad did not attend the funeral of Assef Shawkat, married to his sister Bushra, but he was seen on TV swearing in a replacement defence minister. Fears for his own security — at a time when armed rebels have been able to strike in the very heart of the capital — appear to be keeping him in his palace and safely out of sight.

Rumours that Assad had fled to the coastal city of Latakia and that his British-born wife, Asma, had sought refuge in Russia were never substantiated. But there is bound to be pressure for the president to demonstrate leadership by appearing in person before too long.

By arrangement with the Guardian