Polls have opened in areas under government control in Syria.

The country's President Bashar Al Assad, is expected to easily win another 7-year term, in a result many think has been rigged since the start.

This election takes place against the backdrop of a bloody civil war in which tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced.

Polling will only take place in government controlled areas and security is tight.

The Prime Minister has described the election as 'an historic day for Syria