Mandatory Service is a nightmare as war continues in Syria, some flee

(Writing by Zaman Staff; Translation by Yusra Ahmed

(Zaman Al Wasl)- The nightmare of indiscriminate recruiting for mandatory and reserve military service has been circulating around Syria within few days.

Regime started procedures of catching and recruiting men under age of 30 in Homs, while official lists of reservists who need to join the army would be distributed in Aleppo soon.

This news caused stress and chaos among young men, Basel one of them, he is 30 years old, now trying to hide somewhere, as he scared of being caught and taken to serve the army at one of regime’s barriers. “I want to run away from the country as soon as possible, as joining the Syrian army means death”

A young man reported that his brother was caught at a barrier in al-Hamdaniyah, Aleppo, and taken to the military service, and he was not able to contact them yet.

Many opportunists tried to take a chance of the new circumstances, by forcing desperate young men to pay them money to check if they are wanted for service.

On the other hand, Ahmad, 28, showed his willingness to join the military service hoping to help in stopping the 4 years’ conflict.

News about catching some young men was reported in Deir Ezzor as well. Moreover, all employees in the city were informed to bring their Military service logbook at time of paying salaries, to make sure if they had finished their mandatory military service, or wanted for army reserve

In Jableh, many young men, especially in pro-regime areas were informed to join the military service, despite they have finished their service, and some of them served the army many years before.

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

The Syrian army counts almost 300 thousand soldiers, all men need to serve the army for 30 months at age of 18, except the high educated men, who serve 24 months only.

Men can be called for army reserve any time, till they reach the age of 41.

Zaman Al Wasl