"Hundreds of defectors and militant fighters, who once fought against the Syrian army in armed formations, gave on Sunday a solemn oath to serve the homeland," according to correspondent in Syria.
To commemorate the event, a large party was held in the city of Daraa with the participation of Syrian officials as well as representatives of the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria.
New Syrian army recruits said they wanted to free Syria from the remaining terrorists. In addition, they said they thanked the Syrian President, Bashar Assad, for having amnestied them and helped them to return to normal life. Soldiers have called for other Syrians fighting alongside terrorists to think better and move to the side of the government army.
Some of the recruits were incorporated into the 5th Mechanized Army Corps, which functions as a local militia.
In October of this year, the Syrian president signed a decree amnestying all the deserters of the army that hid or fled from Syria. According to the decree, the deserters must surrender to the Syrian authorities during the next four months, if they are in Syrian territory, or in six months, if they have left abroad.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Turkey was about to start an operation in the Syrian city of Manbij against the Kurdish YPG if the United States did not remove the Kurdish militia from there. The Turkey-based Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), in which the YPG is the Syrian branch of, announced that it would respond to Turkey harshly if the operation against Kurdish forces in Syria was to begin.




Comment: Granting amnesty to Syrian nationals who forswear terrorism has been Assad's policy from the beginning. Syria is small, and nearly every family has members on both sides of the conflict. Amnesty allows those who fought against the country a way to mend relations.
- Syrian President Assad officially decrees amnesty for rebels who lay down arms
- Amnesty: Assad grants pardon to more than 14,500 Syrian deserters
- German ARD interview with Assad: Syria refraining from retaliatory attacks, offering amnesty to all rebel fighters
- Those elusive 'moderate' Syria rebels have re-joined Assad
At the same time, it will be a long road to healing fractured SyriaReturnees or traitors? RT examines conflicted and broken lives in Assad's 'amnesty regiments'