Old men of Eastern Ghouta form own armed group

By Abu Abdullah Al Hourani; Translation by Yusra Ahmed

(Zaman Al Wasl)- As an initiative to encourage young men to hold on and give them hope, elderly in al-Ghouta have formed a battalion called “the Elderly Battalion”, started in the town of Deir Selman in the Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

Haj Abo Mahmoud, the battalion’s leader told Zaman al-Wasl that men over 60 years old are only admitted to join the battalion.

He added that he wanted from forming this battalion to encourage the Syrian youth who still hesitant to join the revolution, besides helping desperate fighters to hold on, as they had been in battles for long time and away from normal life.

Abu Karam al-Shezari, the media spokesman of Omar’s group, which supervises “the Elderly Battalion” told Zaman al-Wasl: “those elderly fighters are very respected and appreciated, we feel ashamed of ourselves if we think of giving up when we see men as old as our fathers or grand fathers holding arms and fight side by side with us”

Abu Mahmoud confesses that “the Elderly Battalion” is a symbol rather than its effectiveness in fighting, but he feels that fighting is a moral and religious duty for everyone able to carry arms and fight. “I did not want to stay at home like other old men in my age, I have sons and grandsons were killed by Syrian regime, I will do my duty as long as I am able to fight.”