Syria's Assad meets with Putin in Moscow

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad met with Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday in an unannounced visit to Moscow, the Kremlin said.

Assad and Putin held talks over Russia's military offensive in Syria against ISIS and other groups, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Yesterday evening, the president of the Syrian Arab Republic, Bashar al-Assad, made a working visit to Moscow," Peskov said, adding that he met with Putin though he did not specify whether he was still in Moscow Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad is back in Damascus after a surprise visit to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Syrian presidency told AFP on Wednesday.

"The visit to Moscow was yesterday and he is today in Damascus," a spokesman for the presidency said.