The Syrian army has ordered the military discharge of soldiers called up for army service in 2010, Syria's pro-government Al-Watan newspaper reported. Due to Syria's ongoing civil war, the soldiers, whose mandatory enlistment was meant to last only 18 months, served for eight years. 'I feel like I just won a huge battle,' Mohammad, 27, who has been in the Syrian army since 2010, told Agence France-Presse. The Syrian government, with aid from Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, has recently won a string of victories over various rebel groups near Damascus and in the central province of Homs.
