Homs- Assad forces order reservists, students to join fight, some flee

Reporting by MaMoun Abu Mohamed; Translation by Yusra Ahmed

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Syrian regime’s forces has started unprecedented campaign to mandatorily recruit most males over 18 years old in the military services, even if they have official documents to postpone joining the service or newly notifie, activists reported.

An eyewitness revealed that he saw around 400 young men in the military police centre in Homs, and nearly the same number “Balona” prison in Homs. Many of them from Alawite sect, waiting to be taken for military service.

An activist reported to Zaman al-Wasl that even the “only son” were caught and taken to military service, which was unprecedented practice.

Observers explained the regime’s mad campaign to recruit men in military service as a replacement for the killed soldiers during the long and severe fighting all over Syria, while others think that it wanted to fill the gap which was left after the Iraqi Shiite militias moved to fight the Islamic State in Iraq.

Sources revealed that many Alawite families preferred to send their sons to Jabal Mohsin of Alawite majority in Tripoli, Lebanon, even some men hidden themselves away in mountains of other abandoned areas.

Observers think that Alawite people are reluctant to serve in the Syrian army, because Syrian regime does not prioritise them in prisoners' exchanging operations with the opposition of other factions, in case they were captured, and prefers to free other Iranian or Lebanese Shiite fighters.