Damascus: Army to Rely on Volunteers, Discharge Tens of Thousands of Reservists

General Abdul Karim Mahmoud Ibrahim, Chief of the General Staff of the Syrian Army, visits forces operating in the countryside of Hama, Idlib and Deir Ez-Zor on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. (Ministry of Defense)

The Syrian government said that it intends to rely on volunteers and discharge tens of thousands of reservists by the end of this year.
“Tens of thousands will be discharged by the end of the current year, and the same next year, while maintaining combat readiness and acting in the interests of the people,” Major General Ahmed Sleiman told Syrian state television late Wednesday.
Sources in Damascus told Asharq Al-Awsat that the military establishment began six months ago to implement a plan aimed at restructuring the army, under the direct supervision of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
As a result of the long war, the army has suffered from disorder, corruption and lack of human resources, the sources added.
According to Sleiman, discharging the reservists will take place based on a three-phase plan beginning next month and until the end of October 2025.
He added that reserve service will be reduced to a maximum of two years in the final phase.
Sleiman said the decision aimed to “achieve an advanced army that relies on voluntary enlistment, through a new volunteer contract,” according to which anyone who has completed five years of service and does not wish to continue will be discharged.
He also stressed that these measures are “an internal matter, and are not messages directed to any side, nor a preparation for war, but rather a necessary change.”
The Syrian army is composed of three main groups: soldiers who enlist voluntarily, those conscripted as part of compulsory military service, and reservists who have completed their service but can be summoned for further duty at any time.