High Turnout in Polls Sign of Syrians’ Support for Resistance: Iran’s Larijani

In a message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad released on Monday, Larijani congratulated Assad and the Arab country’s people and govement on the successful parliamentary votes held earlier on Wednesday.

“Despite massive political, psychological and security pressures and desperate attempts made by terrorist groups to prevent Syrian people from participating in the polls, the high tuout in the elections is a sign of the people’s strong support for Your Excellency as a symbol of resistance, perseverance and independence of their homeland against the all-out invasion of sinister elements of terrorism and their regional and inteational supporters,” Larijani said in the message.

In last week's polls, as many as 3,500 candidates, including women, competed for a place in the 250-seat parliament.

The previous parliamentary elections had been held in 2012, just months after the adoption of a new constitution in the country.

The voting was held amid an ongoing war against terrorism throughout the Arab country, which has been gripped by a catastrophic civil war since 2011.

According to a February report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict in Syria has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people.