Syria VP appears in public, ends defection rumors

Amman: Syrian Vice President Farouk Al-Sharaa has made his first public appearance in several weeks, ending rumors that he defected.

Al-Sharaa was last seen at the funeral of four top Syrian government officials who were killed in a blast in Damascus on July 18. Since then, speculation has circulated that he defected to Jordan in what would have been a blow to Bashar Assad`s regime. Jordan and Al-Sharaa`s office repeatedly denied he defected. On Sunday, reporters saw Al-Sharaa exit his car and walk to his office for a meeting with Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of Iran`s powerful parliamentary committee on national security and foreign policy. An Associated Press reporter at the scene said Al-Sharaa looked serious and steered away from reporters covering the meeting. He did not make a statement. PTI