Syria's Assad issues general pardon for military penalties

DAMASCUS, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Syria's President Bashar al-Assad issued on Tuesday a general amnesty, covering penalties related to military service, state news agency SANA reported.

The presidential pardon covers crime of fleeing from military service and related penalties on condition that they should surrender themselves within a specific timeframe.

It's not the first time Assad issues such a pardon.

However, the amnesty comes at a time the Syrian army has regained much of the country after more than seven years of war.