DAMASCUS, Syria — After eight years of military service, Syrian conscript Sonel Ali swapped his drab army uniform for bright civilian clothes last week as he packed his things one last time.

Ali was among thousands of young men who was enlisted in 2010, a year before the brutal repression of anti-government protests in Syria spiralled into one of the worst conflicts of the century.

He thought he was joining the military for a maximum of two years, but instead ended up serving in Syria’s war until now.

His drawn-out deployment ended last Friday, after the army ordered 2010 conscripts to demobilise.

“I’m finally leaving guns and dirt barricades behind,” said the ecstatic 34-year-old, who hails from the central city of Homs but was last deployed hours away in Syria’s south.

As he packed, Ali’s phone buzzed with calls from loved ones congratulating him, but also from comrades for whom the good news had not yet arrived.

“We’re the first ones and you will join us,” he reassured a friend over the phone. “The biggest battles are over.”

The number of frontlines has diminished now and Syria’s regime has retaken more than half of the country with Russian backing, this year notching up a string of victories against rebels near Damascus.

Before he zipped up his black canvas bag, Ali dropped in the gourd and traditional straw he had used to slurp bitter mate tea throughout the seven-year war.

“I’m keeping” these, he said. “They were my companions throughout my military service.”

All packed, he posed with fellow fighters for their first group picture out of army slacks, before heading their separate ways back to civilian life.

Hero’s welcome

Before Syria’s conflict erupted in 2011, men 18 and older had to serve up to two years in the armed forces, after which they remained part of the reserves.

But when war began, anyone enlisted stayed on active duty.

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