On November 29, members of Suwayda’s National Guard, a militia affiliated with Druze spiritual leader Hikmat al Hijri that describes itself as the “official military institution that represents the Druze,” carried out a series of arrests in Suwayda province. The individuals it detained included two Druze religious figures, Sheikh Raed al Metni and Sheikh Marwan Rizk, along with three other individuals: Asem Abu Fakhr, Ghandi Abu Fakhr, and a man only identified as being from the Safadi family.
Local sources stated that members of the National Guard committed abuses and acts of humiliation against the suspects, including shaving Metni’s mustache. Subsequently, on December 2, National Guard members reportedly dumped Metni’s body in front of Suwayda National Hospital after killing him.
Sheikh Hikmat al Hijri has emerged as the most vocal and determined opponent of Syrian President Ahmad al Sharaa’s rule, and he was the first Druze leader to reject Syrian government control over Suwayda province. In April, Hijri condemned the new government, describing it as a collection of “terrorist factions” and declaring its hold over Damascus “unacceptable both domestically and internationally.”
After the July clashes in Suwayda province, when government forces and Sunni Arab tribes clashed with Druze militias, leaving nearly 1,000 people dead and prompting Israel’s direct military intervention in support of the Druze, Hijri intensified his rhetoric and began calling for independence. By August, he had spearheaded the formation of the National Guard. By October, Hijri escalated his language further, referring to Suwayda province as “Jabal Bashan,” the Hebrew name for the broader geographical area encompassing most of southern Syria, parts of northern Jordan, the Golan Heights, and southeastern Lebanon.
According to a Reuters report, Israel has helped “unify splintered Druze factions and delivered military supplies, including guns and ammunition, to them.” The report also noted that “Israel was paying salaries for many of the roughly 3,000 Druze militia fighters.”
Hijri has managed to consolidate control over the majority of Suwayda province, mainly by sidelining the other two spiritual leaders of the Druze community, Yousef Jarbou and Hammoud al Hinnawi.
The National Guard’s recent arrest campaign appears to be an effort to consolidate power over opponents of Hijri. Sources close to the National Guard have stated that the arrests were of suspects who were attempting to “undermine security.” According to these sources, the suspects tried to “storm military and security sites in Suwayda.”
The Syrian government’s appointed security chief of Suwayda province, Suleiman Abdul Baqi, a Druze pro-Damascus faction leader, confirmed that National Guard forces raided his house in Suwayda city. Baqi criticized Hijri for “monopolizing decision-making in the province,” and stated that Syrian government forces are capable of entering the province. Moreover, Layth al Balous, the pro-Damascus leader of the Dignity Guest House, a small Druze armed faction, stated, “The National Guard militia burned our homes in Suwayda,” adding that “religious figures, intellectuals, and notables are being subjected to blatant violations at the hands of this militia.”
Despite playing a crucial role in urging Israeli military intervention on behalf of Syria’s Druze and having repeatedly showcased support for Hikmat al Hijri throughout the past year, Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, has expressed his concern about internal divisions and issued a call for Hijri to de-escalate the conflict.
