Members of the Female Commando Battalion, which is part of the Bashar al-Assad's Syrian Army, sit on top of a tank in the government-controlled area of Jobar, a suburb of Damascus.

The battalion was established in the summer of 2014 and consists of around 800 female volunteer fighters to work alongside the Syrian Army in its battle against opposition forces.

By Chiara Palazzo
Picture: Omar Sanadiki/Reuters




A member of the Female Commando Battalion wears her headgear in the government-controlled area of Jobar, a suburb of Damascus.

In 2013, after allowing the recruitment of women to the army, President al-Assad recruited the first brigade of women, named “Lionesses for National Defence” to man checkpoints and carry out security operations as part of the National Defence Force (NDF).
Picture: Omar Sanadiki/Reuters



A member of the battalion aims her weapon as a fellow fighter looks out behind sandbags on the frontline in Jobar.

In October 2014, Syria's General Mobilization Administration banned men born between 1985 and 1991 from leaving the country, in a move to prevent draft dodging.
Picture: Omar Sanadiki/Reuters