Syria's President Bashar al-Assad issued a general amnesty Tuesday (October 9th) for army deserters and those who have avoided compulsory military service during the country's seven-year civil war, AFP reported.

Tens of thousands of Syrian soldiers have deserted since the start of the war in 2011, some of them joining opposition factions and others either hiding at home or escaping abroad.

A similar number is estimated to have avoided completing compulsory military service.

The fear of being sent to the front line has kept many male Syrian refugees from returning to their home country.

On Tuesday, Assad declared "a general amnesty from any penalties for military deserters inside and outside the country", Syrian state media SANA reported.

Those who had been charged with deserting but who were on the run inside the country would have to hand themselves in within four months to Syrian authorities.

Charged deserters who fled outside Syria would have six months to present themselves to authorities, SANA said.

It did not specify whether defectors who then went on to fight the Syrian army were included in the pardon.

While it mentions being exempt from "penalties", Tuesday's decree did not specify if defectors or draft dodgers would ultimately be sent to serve.

An estimated 150,000 Syrian men are dodging compulsory military service, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Several similar pardons have been granted in recent years but it is unclear how many Syrians made use of them.