The Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) High Command has approved the new formation of a new unit in the 5th Legion, Al-Masdar News cited a military source as saying on Wednesday, December 20.

The new unit will be an infantry volunteer brigade, which will be concentrated in the eastern and central parts of the country.

According to the 5th Legion, each soldier in the brigade will be given a salary between $200-$350 and will be tasked with defending several important sites in central and eastern Syria, including oil and gas fields.

Furthermore, the newly formed unit will be equipped with the latest military technology provided by Russian forces.

The volunteer brigade is set to begin operations at the start of the new year.