Syria 'revises Quran to prevent misinterpretation'

Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, has launched a revised Quran which the government said minimised the risk of misinterpretation.

The "new standard version" reportedly underwent 27 revisions over five years. According to state news agency Sana, the revision "simplified" Quranic letters, which are "sketched with dexterity according to a set of accredited standards that scholars of Quranic science use".

Sana did not indicate any changes to Quranic script, nor did it state what misinterpreations the new version aimed to eliminate.

Any revision of the text of the Quran is considered sacrilegious by most Muslims.

In the launch ceremony, Assad hailed "the diligent efforts" of the revision committee.

"We truly need such acts at this critical stage of distortion and misleading when it comes to the Holy Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad," Assad said.

Syrian state media also reported that the government will send copies of the revised version to Egypt's al-Azhar university, the pre-eminent seat of Sunni learning, and Arab and Muslim countries.

The new standard version will be the reference for all printed copies of the Quran in Syria.

Days after the end of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, Syrian jets bombed town in Aleppo province on Wednesday, killing at least 18 people, according to a source from civil rescue organisation. 

The source told al-Araby al-Jadeed that the one of the attacks targeted the village of Qasr al-Barij, northeast of Aleppo, which is under IS control.

An estimated 300,000 people have died in the conflict and Syria has become a theatre of cruelty and impunity.