WATCH: Syrian volunteer fighters assist army in combating terrorism

The regiment “Mahavir al-Bahr” (Naval commanders), which works in coordination with the Syrian army, has trained new volunteer fighters who will protect Syria from terrorists.
The solemn ceremony in honor of the multi-stage training was held in the Syrian city of Latakia.
These volunteers are Syrians who voluntarily decided to join and help the army in defeating terrorism in the country

According to the source, “Syrian volunteer detachments that support the army greatly helped in the liberation of Aleppo and Hama provinces. They took an active part in lifting the blockade of Deir-ez-Zor. Now they are preparing for an operation in East Ghouta in the suburbs of Damascus.”

He added that the fighters are also combating militants in the provinces of Idlib, Homs and Deir-ez-Zor.
The National Self-Defense forces began to form in Syria in late 2012. Initially, their task was to protect the roads, strategically important centers and garrison the territories that had been liberated from militants.
However, with the passage of time, these forces started to increasingly be used in combat operations. The number of self-defense forces, which at the beginning amounted to about 90,000 people, has grown, over time, to 150, 000.

Some of these volunteers receive a decent allowance, by Syrian standards, up to $300 per month. However, there are also such field commanders who equip and finance their troops totally on their own account.

As the fight against terrorism continues in Syria, cases of militants shelling civilian areas have been reported. Earlier in the day, five people died and 23 were injured as militants shelled several neighborhoods in the center of the Syrian capital Damascus, a source from the city’s police told Sputnik on Tuesday.
Another shell exploded in the neighborhood of Zablatani, injuring eight people.
The shelling is one of many recent cases of terrorists’ attacks on Damascus. Two weeks ago, an office of the Russian trade mission in Syria and locations where humanitarian aid, collected by the Russian religious communities, was distributed, came under mortar fire by terrorists.
Last month, the Russian Defense Ministry called on Damascus to hold direct talks with the opposition in Eastern Ghouta on an evacuation of the sick.
Source: Sputnik