Former soldiers give up their weapons for papers

On the night of December 6, Mohammed el-Nadaf, a Syrian army officer, was at his post in Homs.

When the rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) pushed into the city, days after taking Aleppo and Hama in a lightning strike, Mohammed decided not to fight.

“We had no orders, no information. I took off my uniform, left my weapons, and started the journey to my village in Tartous,” he said.

At about the same time, Mohammed Ramadan was on the outskirts of the capital Damascus.

“There was no one to command us, many of our commanders fled before us, so I thought, why should I die and fight for someone who did not give me a salary to be able to feed my family?”

“For our daily meals as soldiers we only got one egg and one potato.”

In the morning, he also left his position and went home.

The soldiers’ testimony provides insight into the rapid collapse of ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

For many of his ranks who were dirty and underpaid on the ground, the speed with which their defenses collapsed in the face of a terrorist attack came as no surprise.

Many soldiers told us they were paid less than $35 (£28) a month and had to do other jobs to get by in a country that would only pay a minimum starting wage.

Mohammed Ramadan was holding the Kalashnikov rifle that had already been given to him when we met him with several others in Damascus two weeks after the fall of the regime, at a “reconciliation center” run by HTS.

In the middle, former soldiers, police and law enforcement, as well as anyone who was part of Assad’s army, can apply for a temporary civilian license and install their weapons.

HTS has announced a general amnesty for those who worked for the former government.

Waleed Abdrabuh, a member of the group in charge of the reconciliation center in Damascus, said: “The aim is for the weapons that the previous regime gave to be returned to the government. Also for the members of the armed forces to get a civilian identity card. So that they can be reintegrated into the community.” people.”

Under Assad, military service was mandatory for older men. Recruits had to surrender their civilian IDs and instead were issued military IDs.

Without a civilian identity card it would be difficult to find a job or move freely in the country, which explains why thousands of people have arrived in different cities.

In the heart of Damascus, which used to be the headquarters of Assad’s Baath Party, hundreds of men had flocked to the gate, eager to enter.

Many of them were eager to distance themselves from the wrongdoings of the government.

“I did not participate in their evil actions. I consider them to be disgusting. I did everything to avoid being part of the massacres and crimes against the Syrian people,” said Mohammed al-Nadaf.

“I tried to leave the army twice because I knew I was on the wrong side. But it was impossible to escape. The army had all my military documents.”

Somar al-Hamwi, who served in the army for 24 years, said: “Most people don’t know anything, right?

The BBC cannot independently verify their claims.

The anger at the government and Assad’s decision to flee to Russia on December 7 as the rebels were reaching Damascus was understandable.

“He [Bashar al-Assad] he took a lot of money and ran away. They left all these people, all of us soldiers to go where we want,” said Somar.

There were many worried faces in the crowd at the reconciliation site, but the environment looked bright despite the 13-year civil war that killed more than half a million people.

“Everyone told me it’s safe, I’m going to fix the place. The security guarantee made by HTS has made a big difference,” said Mohammed al-Nadaf.

But from different parts of Syria, reports of killing, looting and burning are increasing. There are no reliable statistics to confirm the number of incidents of violence but many have been reported on the media.

In the past week, three judges arguing over property issues in the government-controlled town of Masyaf in northwestern Syria – Mounzer Hassan, Mohammed Mahmoud and Youssef Ghanoum – were killed. Sources from the hospital where their bodies were examined have told the BBC that they were hit in the head with a sharp object.

We went to Alamerea village to visit Mounzer Hassan’s house. It was empty, cold, and looked like it needed repair.

Mounzer’s wife, Nadine Abdullah, told us that she believes her husband is being targeted because he is an Alawite – the minority group that the Assad family is from, and where many of the former political and military leaders were in power.

“Since they were judges, not judges, I think they were killed because they were Alawites. All Alawites did not benefit from Bashar al-Assad. Those who worked for the government were forced to follow the law, otherwise brutal methods would have been brutal. They have been given to them,” he said. Nadine.

Mounzer’s brother, Nazir, said: “This is a crime against an innocent person.” It is unacceptable.

Mounzer was the father of four young children, and was the sole breadwinner in his family, taking care of his sick father and brother.

His family said they are speaking out because they want such deaths to be prevented in the future.

“Everyone says that HTS did not commit the crime. But as the rulers now, they must find those who did. They must ensure the safety of all of us,” said Nadine.

The interim government of HTS has condemned the killing of the judges and said they will find the culprits. He also denied involvement in any murder.

Protests erupted in Masyaf following the killing of the judges, and many Alawites have told the BBC they now fear for their safety.

Although HTS has announced amnesty for Assad’s forces, they have also said that those involved in torture and killings will be held accountable. That will be difficult to do.

A few weeks since the fall of the regime, it is a difficult time in Syria.

Additional reporting by Aamir Peerzada and Sanjay Ganguly.