Laith al-Balous, a prominent Druze figure from Suwayda, has played a role in the political and military landscape of Suwayda since 2011. Balous is the son of Sheikh Wahid al-Balous, the founder of the Men of Dignity movement, who was killed in a 2015 car bombing that also wounded Laith. In the aftermath of the assassination, Laith and his brother Fahd were pushed out of the movement their father built, amid growing disputes over leadership and direction.
The brothers later formed the Sheikh of Dignity movement, positioning themselves as an alternative current within Suwayda’s military and security currents. Like his father once did, Laith now heads the Guest House of Dignity, the former operational center of the Men of Dignity, and has survived multiple assassination attempts in recent years. Known for his sharp criticism of separatist projects and his openness towards engagement with Damascus, Balous has become a polarizing figure locally. In this interview, he outlines his vision for Suwayda’s future, the security crisis gripping the province, and his case for reintegrating state authority amid deep internal divisions.
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Levant24: What is the latest security and political situation in Suwayda province, and how do you think the crisis can be solved?
Laith al-Balous: “I believe the separatist project for southern Syria was stillborn, and all separatist projects are failures. The 2011 revolution was an expansion of the Syrian Revolution of 1925 because both of them were calling for freedom for the Syrian people. Our fathers were against separatist projects.
“I hope that soon we will see Suwayda green (fully under the control of the Syrian state). We are very supportive of the roadmap announced in Jordan to solve the crisis in Suwayda. Among the stipulated items is to fix and rebuild all demolished houses and buildings, paying compensation for damages, holding accountable all those who committed crimes, and recruiting members of the General Security from the sons of Suwayda.
“We established a military council of Suwayda Province, which communicated with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior. We agreed that the sons of Suwayda (Druze, Sunni Bedouin and Christians) would be members of these two ministries. We also agreed that the Syrian Presidency would nominate the governor of Suwayda and high-ranking administrative officials and that all weapons should be monopolized by the state.
“This is our vision for Suwayda, and this solution is in the interest of its people. Today, those who refuse this solution are acting against the interests of Suwayda, linking their interests to foreign projects and working against the people of the province.”
Levant24: Some anti-government Druze sheikhs and activists label you as a ‘traitor’ to the Druze community, led by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri. What is your message to them?
Laith al-Balous: “Betrayal is subservience to foreign powers. Hurting the Syrian people and promoting suspicious foreign separatist projects is betrayal. We are proud that we were able to save the people of Suwayda from bloodshed and these suspicious projects, and therefore we are honored to be labeled ‘traitors’ (due to our opposition).
“My view is that those who reject the Roadmap for Suwayda are the real traitors. They place the responsibility for the entry of government forces into Suwayda on me and label me a traitor, despite the fact that the Druze Aql Sheikhs (the Spiritual Chiefdom of Syrian Druze, consisting of three sheikhs) welcomed the military and government security officers’ visit to the Maddafa (Guest House) of the late Sheikh Abu Fahd al-Balous in Mezzra town (western Suwayda) on July 14, 2025.
“I welcomed the government officers following a clear request from the three Aql Sheikhs, as well as social notables and local military commanders in Suwayda. Those commanders did not attend the scheduled meeting on July 14 to discuss the deployment of government forces in the province.
“The following day, state army and police forces entered Suwayda and reached Kafar village. Government officers met with traditional Druze religious and social leaders, including the three Aql Sheikhs, at the house of Yusuf Jarbou (Sheikh Aql Abu Usama). During this meeting, participants released a video welcoming the entry of Syrian government forces into Suwayda province and calling on all local groups to support the government.
“As for why they attack me and label me a traitor: the next day, the same people who attacked me met with government officers at the Sheikh Aql’s house. The reason is simple: Sheikh Laith al-Balous is dangerous to those with foreign agendas. They label me a traitor to shift responsibility for what happened in Suwayda onto me and distance themselves from the events.”
Levant24: International media have stated that Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri has direct cooperation and ties with Israel. What is your evaluation of Israel’s role in the crisis in Suwayda?
Laith al-Balous: “What The Washington Post Newspaper wrote is completely true. Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri reaffirmed his ties with Israel before the collapse of the Assad regime, and the paper reported this a few days after the collapse.
“Sheikh Hikmat gave a press statement to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, saying, ‘we made a deal with Israel, and we are Israel’s right hand.’ This statement confirms that Sheikh Hikmat is an Israeli agent. He also said, ‘We thanked President Trump and thanked Prime Minister Netanyahu. Netanyahu is the protector of the Druze sect, and we are brothers in blood.’
“The National Guard is receiving logistical support from Israel, and the Israeli helicopter flights proved this Israeli support. By the way, Sheikh Hikmat established the National Guard and the Supreme Legal Committee to portray these armed groups as a legitimate, organized army and to shift responsibility for what is happening in Suwayda away from himself.”
Levant24: Around 140,000 Suwayda residents (Druze and Bedouins) have been displaced from their homes and villages. Are you helping with their return or with their sheltering conditions?
Laith al-Balous: “The number of displaced Druze in Suwayda is around 120,000 to 130,000, and 30,000 to 40,000 are displaced Sunni Bedouins due to the July crisis. The displaced Druze families moved from 36 villages in western and northern Suwayda to the city of Suwayda, and to the southern and eastern parts of Suwayda province, in addition to Damascus suburbs.
“The Sunni Bedouins were displaced from the Suwayda city districts of Maqous, Rijim al-Zaitoun, and Mishorb, as well as from the towns of Shahba and Mazraa. About 15,000 Sunni Bedouins had been living inside the city of Suwayda before being displaced to rural Damascus and Daraa provinces.”
Levant24: How do you evaluate the Syrian government’s rebuilding process in its administration of 33 towns and villages in the north and west of Suwayda? To which villages have families returned and when?
Laith al-Balous: “The Syrian government is working hard to provide aid, fuel, flour, and pharmaceuticals to all displaced families; this is one of the items of the roadmap announced in Jordan. I personally helped provide foodstuffs and medicine to the displaced families.
“I want to thank Governor Dr. Mustafa Bakour and the government for their efforts to rebuild the demolished villages and towns. On January 20, Governor Bakour officially announced that the government had completely finished rebuilding the village of Umm Harten and called on families to return to their homes.
“A group of families from this village who support Sheikh Hikmat issued a statement refusing to return and said that everyone who returns is a traitor and will be killed. Some Druze families returned to Mazraa town, but their numbers are limited, at about five percent, because they are afraid of Hijri’s project and threats of being labeled ‘traitors.’
“Sheikh Raad al-Matni, Sheikh Maher Falhout, Anwar al-Shaar, engineer Karam Monzir, and other Druze were killed, and their homes were burned because they were supporting the government. To this day, the National Guard’s gunmen have attacked returnee families in Mazraa with guns and mortars to force them to leave their homes. These pro-Hijri gunmen want to keep these Druze villages empty to maintain their propaganda of ‘victimization.’
“They also keep talking about kidnapped and raped women, but I can confirm that there is not a single case of a kidnapped or raped Druze woman today. They talk about 2,000 to 4,000 murdered Druze, but the confirmed number, according to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), is around 700 dead.
“There were around 18 kidnapped people, and all of them were released, but today the number of kidnapped women is zero. There are no kidnapped Druze women at all. My question is: if there are kidnapped Druze women, why do their families not present or publish their pictures and names to prove their statements?
“In 2018, ISIS attacked the eastern Druze villages and kidnapped 15 to 20 women, whose families organized daily demonstrations in Suwayda, holding their pictures and calling for their release. Today, where are these families who are calling for the release of their kidnapped women?”
Levant24: The recent government seizures in Jazeera (Raqqa, Deir Ezzor, and Hasakah provinces) cut off the path for the SDF’s calls for separatism and self-administration. Will this impact Suwayda’s similar calls? It was reported that Sheikh Hikmat and his armed gangs were receiving financial and political support from SDF and PKK officials. Will much change now?
Laith al-Balous: “Our Kurdish brothers lost their historical opportunity to cooperate with the Syrian government, but they preferred a foreign project. President Ahmad al-Sharaa made a very clear statement affirming that Kurdish rights are protected through a presidential decree. Our Syrian people sacrificed blood and lives to protect Syrian territories, and this separatist SDF project has ended, putting an end to all other separatist projects in the country.”
Levant24: What is your message to those who do not accept the Syrian government’s presence in Suwayda and call for ‘self-administration’ away from Damascus?
Laith al-Balous: “There are states that do not want to see Syria as a strong unified country with a strong economy and they want to keep the country war-torn and without a regional role. Yet today, Syria has support from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, countries around the world, and even the UN Security Council to become a strong, unified country. The separatist project was stillborn to begin with, but now even the public believes it is finished after what happened in northeast Syria.”
Levant24: You have previously spoken with a member of the US Congress regarding the situation in Suwayda. How aware is the US government of the reality on the ground in Suwayda and are there any efforts to establish or strengthen contact with the US or other governments to help find a solution to the current situation in Suwayda?
Laith al-Balous: “I did many virtual meetings with American Congressmen and international ambassadors and I also had an official meeting with United States Representative Abraham Hamadeh in Damascus. Hamadeh’s mother is a Druze from Suwayda, and his father is a Sunni from Hama.
“I noticed that American officials clearly understand the true situation in Suwayda, and all non-Syrian officials who visit Sheikh Hikmat at his house in Qanwat would ask him to cooperate with the Syrian state because there is a clear international decision to strengthen the unity and stability of Syria.
“US Representative Abraham Hamadeh spoke to me in English, not Arabic, and it was clear that he had been influenced by Israeli fabrications. After his visit to Damascus and meetings with President Ahmad al-Sharaa and other Syrian ministers and officials, he saw the reality for himself, changed his point of view, and realized that everything he had heard before was media propaganda.
“To be honest, Hamadeh didn’t focus on the Suwayda’ events deeply, only in general, and didn’t talk about any safe corridor between Israeli and Suwayda or the so-called David Corridor. To date, I have not made any visits outside the country, and all my meetings have been conducted inside Syria. However, if there is a benefit, I am ready to do anything to help my country and its people.”
