Hezbollah unlocks the door to recruitment in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Pro-Syrian government Lebanese Hezbollah factions announced on Saturday that they will be recruiting new members to join their ranks in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, amid a power struggle between Russia and Iran in the northern and eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor.

The western bank of the Euphrates is divided into two regions: the first under the control of the Syrian government forces and Russian-backed armed groups, and the second to the south of it in Mayadeen and Deir ez-Zor, where Iranian-backed forces operate.

Hezbollah’s factions are deployed in the vicinity of the Deir ez-Zor military airport, northeast of Mayadeen.

Private sources told North Press earlier that Iran is working to strengthen its influence by supporting and supplying as many military factions as possible, providing them with weapons and money.

The local Nahr Media website reported that Hezbollah announced its need for 600 new personnel to work in its ranks in the city of Deir ez-Zor and its countryside.

The salary of each militant varies by location, with an average of 110,000 Syrian pounds (SYP) per month for frontline fighters and 75,000 SYP for administrative officers, according to the website.

The recruitment of local elements by Hezbollah comes weeks after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps opened the door to volunteering.

In mid-September, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard started recruiting volunteers in Deir ez-Zor, calling them the “Local Defense” faction.

It launched training courses for the new volunteers, which lasted eight days, and a salary 75,000 SYP was allocated for each one.

This coincided with the government forces’ campaign of forced recruitment for military service in the cities of Deir ez-Zor and Mayadin and its eastern countryside.