Syria issues largest army callup since Yom Kippur War

Syria is reportedly calling up the largest number of military reserves since 1973, when it attacked Israel in the Yom Kippur War.

The Syrian Army’s High Command has called up the largest number of military reserves since 1973, according to a report in the Arabic news outlet Al-Masdar News.

Syria deployed a massive number of soldiers in 1973 to attack Israel on the Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Israel lost close to 3,000 soldiers during the “Yom Kippur War,” which ended in a bittersweet victory for the Jewish state.

The Syrian army’s announcement over the weekend was made against the backdrop of significant military gains by the regime in Damascus against rebel forces in the eastern portions of Aleppo. The Syrian army has all but retaken the city, approximately four years after rebels successfully took control of eastern Aleppo.

Many of the reservists, who reportedly received sufficient military training, are expected to be sent to the most recently captured neighborhoods of Aleppo. Their deployment will allow for the Syrian army to devote more of its resources towards capturing the rest of the country.

Although the Syrian government’s victory in Aleppo is no doubt a significant turning point in the civil war that has raged on for almost six years, the war’s end is by no means certain. Most recently, the Islamic State launched a new offensive this month to retake the ancient city of Palmyria, which was recaptured in March by the Syrian army with the help and backing of Russian airstrikes.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

1973 Yom Kippur WarAleppoIslamic StatePalmyraSyrian Civil War