Damascus, Under the patronage of Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Armed forces, President Bashar al-Assad, a celebration was held on Sunday to graduate the 18th round of high staff and command at the Higher Military Academy. The President was represented to the ceremony by the Chief of the General Staff of the Army and Armed Forces, General Abdul Karim Mahmoud Ibrahim. General Ibrahim conveyed President al-Assad's congratulations to the graduated officers, wishing them success and excellence in carrying out all the tasks and responsibilities assigned to them. General Ibrahim highlighted the scale of the challenges faces our homeland and the entire region, especially in the light of the ongoing barbaric Zionist aggression on the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories supported by the US and its Western allies. General Ibrahim stressed that we are today keen more than ever to ensure that our valiant army is fully prepared and ready for any possible confrontation with the enemy which v iolates all international norms and conventions. Source: Syrian Arab News Agency