The Syrian regime is suffering a shortage of mandatory service officers, especially after the withdrawal of Iraqi militias from Syria to fight the Islamic State in Iraq. Moreover, a large number of young men have refused to join the army.
Catching young men wanted for service has become the foremost role of security barriers and checkpoints in Damascus.
Residents said interim checkpoints have became familiar in Damascus’s markets, manned by members of the military police and the criminal security branches.
The barriers stop military-age young men and inspect their documents to check if they are wanted for mandatory service. Such barriers are mostly situated in Salhiya and Baramka. Eye witnesses reported that three young men were caught on Sunday near a SANA building.
In Homs, residents in al-Ghout and Inshaat reported that regime has applied a census for families in the neighborhoods and concentrated on males of mandatory military service age.
Recruitment divisions have witnessed a scarcity and low numbers of young men joining the military service. Meanwhile, applications to defer joining the military service for study or travel after paying 100,000 Syrian Pounds have increased. Other options young men have is to leave to liberated areas which do not fall under the regime command.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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