Assad's exhausted army in need of reinforcements as Idlib battle looms

Regime is so desperate for new recruits that it quietly changed exam rules and has offered amnesty for draft dodgers

After seven long years, Bashar al-Assad has almost clinched victory in Syria. Just one province remains beyond his grasp, but as his Russian and Iranian allies step away from the last stages of the war they leave behind a Syrian army too weak to finish the job on its own.

The regime has said a ceasefire deal in the last opposition stronghold of Idlib is a temporary measure to avoid civilian deaths. But facing the prospect of a major battle without the help of Russian airpower and Iranian-backed ground militias – both appear reluctant to commit to the final battle – the stakes are higher for Syria’s depleted and demoralised army than they have been in years.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2PxdQZ6

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