Syria: Russian lawmakers meet with Syrian President Assad in Damascus

*M/S Head of State Duma Committee on Property Sergei Gavrilov and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad entering with Russian delegation A delegation of Russian lawmakers met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Sunday. Head of State Duma Committee on Property Sergei Gavrilov led the delegation, which included Senator Dmitri Sablin and State Duma Deputy Alexander Yushchenko. The delegation, consisting of members from both chambers of Russia's parliament, arrived in Damascus on Friday on a three-day visit to Syria. The trip is primarily a humanitarian mission but the group of Russian lawmakers have met with several key figures during their visit including Speaker of the People's Council of Syria Mohammad Jihad al-Laham and Grand Mufti of Syria Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun. The delegation's visit to Damascus comes less than a week after Assad travelled to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the ongoing conflict in Syria. During the talks on Tuesday the Syrian president thanked Putin for Russia's assistance in the fight against militant groups including the so-called Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and informed the Russian leader of the plans of government forces fighting on the ground.