Muhsen AlMustafa, a researcher assistant at the Omran Center for Strategic Studies, pointed out the concentration of the Syrian regime forces’ activity in the period immediately following the earthquake. At the official level, the “army” took part in rescue operations and rubble removal, while military hospitals received civilian casualties for treatment.

The “army clubs” also hosted a number of families, without it being clear whether they were relatives of military personnel or civilians, while the security forces under the Ministry of Interior were mobilized in response to the earthquake, though without a clear role in relief operations such as distributing aid, providing shelter, medical care, and other services.