Appearances are deceptive?: The instagram pictures of Bashar al-Assad shows him busy at office and attending to supporters

Syrian President Bashar-al-Assad opened an Instagram account posting pictures of him and the first lady. The pictures show the president hard at work and attending to supporters. The first lady is shown attending to elderly women, school children and patients at hospital beds.

The account was opened on 24th July and is considered an attempt by Assad to bolster his public appeal. Assad regime is also active on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Recent posts have attempted to portray him as a positive figure catering to the requirements of the public.

Another Instagram photo shows Syria's First Lady attending to an elderly woman 

Almost all the pictures show both the president and the first lady comfortably interacting with the public at the presidential palace or such cozy kempt places. Most pictures project a peaceful Syria, deceiving the appearance of war torn Damascus, Aleppo and other regions. About 100,000 people were killed in Syria in the two-year conflict which broke out in March, 2011.

The number of deaths and casualties are on the rise ever since the regime started using chemical weapons on residential areas. The war has resulted in the fleeing of about two million refugees and has escalated into a sectarian conflict inviting support from sectarian groups from neighbouring countries.