Sharaa: thousands of volunteers join the new Syrian army

Border security forces of the Syrian Defence Ministry conduct a large-scale military operation to secure the Syrian-Lebanese border in Homs, Syria on February 10, 2025 [Bakr Al Kasım/Anadolu Agency]

The interim Syrian President, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, revealed in an interview broadcast yesterday that thousands of volunteers are joining the new Syrian army.

Speaking on a podcast with Alastair Campbell, former spokesperson for former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Rory Stewart, a former Conservative minister, Al-Sharaa said that he has not imposed compulsory military service but has opted for voluntary recruitment. He noted that thousands have enlisted in the new army.

Al-Sharaa highlighted that numerous young men fled Syria to avoid the mandatory military service enforced by the former regime, which became a major concern for Syrians following the outbreak of the conflict in 2011– a war that claimed the lives of over half a million people.

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