Syrian President Bashar al-Assad makes a rare public appearance May 1, 2013. Photo: Facebook.

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad made a rare public appearance on Wednesday, visiting an electrical plant in central Damascus to mark Labour Day, the presidency’s official Facebook page said.

“President Assad is now visiting the Umayyad electrical plant in Tishreen Garden in Damascus and congratulates its workers and Syria’s workers on their holiday,” the page stated.

Along with the announcement a photo (at left) was also posted.

“Terrorists and those who support them are trying to plunge the country into darkness,” state media quoted Assad as telling the workers, “whether on the intellectual or social level or by depriving citizens of basic services, chiefly electricity.” He praised Syria’s workers, saying they had “proven again during the war targeting our country that they will always be the country’s strength and that the attacks targeting infrastructure will not stop them from pursuing their national duty.”

According to The Commentator, Assad’s last reported public visit was to an educational center in Damascus on March 20, and he had not been seen publicly before that since January 24th, when he attended prayers at a mosque in a northern district of Damascus.