Since the failed attempt last month by government forces and allies tribal militias to impose central authority on the primarily Druze province of al-Suwayda’ in southern Syria through a military assault, the province has seen a ceasefire whereby parts of the northern and western countryside are controlled by pro-government forces while most of the rest of the province remains under the control of local Druze factions. The number of armed Druze groups in the province is itself quite large, and one of the issues that may have impeded initial attempts to fend off the assault was lack of coordination owing to the multiplicity of factions.
The coalition of factions gathering under this ‘National Guard’ initiative is diverse, with a number of groups having been distinguished by their opposition to the regime.
Now, in a bid to form a more united front, a number of factions declaring loyalty to Druze spiritual leader Shaykh Hikmat al-Hijri have announced the intention to merge into an initiative called the ‘National Guard’. So what is this initiative exactly?
This initiative is not in fact new but rather existed prior to the July battles. Prior to those battles, Ziyad Abu Tafesh explained to me that the initiative was bringing together a variety of people declaring loyalty to Hikmat al-Hijri, including some who had been previously supportive of the regime and had been part of the National Defence Forces, which, in the early years of the Syrian civil war, was a notable force inside al-Suwayda’.
However, as is apparent from this statement, it should be stressed that none of this means that Hikmat al-Hijri is himself an ‘Assadist’ or in league with ‘regime remnants’ (a term that is itself often not well defined and merits further exploration in another post). Rather, the coalition of factions gathering under this ‘National Guard’ initiative is diverse, with a number of groups having been distinguished by their opposition to the regime (e.g. ‘The Local Forces’, the ‘Counterterrorism Force’ and others like Quwat Shaykh al-Karama) as opposed to more ‘neutral’ groups like Rijal al-Karama. This then is the reality of Hikmat al-Hijri’s coalition: it has brought together Druze from a variety of backgrounds who are most skeptical of the central government and either demand substantial changes on the government’s part (including an effective rewriting of the constitution) as the basis for any discussion for a final resolution, or have lost hope all together in belonging to Syria, to the point of desiring an independent Druze state.
Below is the statement on the merger into the ‘National Guard’ translated by me:
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
To begin with, we call for God’s mercy on the lives of our noble martyrs who died in the battles of dignity and honour, defending their authentic Maroufi [Druze] affiliation in the face of hateful Salaf gangs that have practised killing and terrorism as a profession in the name of a supposed state that has not distinguished between men or rocks.
We announce complete merger into the National Guard forces, as it is the official military institution representing the sect.
Thus, and on the basis of our firm belief in having a unified aim and course, and proceeding on the steps of our fathers and forefathers in defending our Maroufi identity and the identity of our monotheist, unified sect, we affirm the following:
1. Absolute compliance with the decisions of the spiritual leadership represented in the leader, his eminence Shaykh Abu Salman Hikmat al-Hijri, and considering it the legitimate and authorised representative for the Druze sect in the Jabal [al-Suwayda’].
2. We announce complete merger into the National Guard forces, as it is the official military institution representing the sect, and we announce our absolute compliance with the defensive military tasks entrusted to us in cooperation with all auxiliary forces, and we renew the pledge and covenant to give what is dear and precious for the sake of protecting the Jabal and our monotheist Maroufi identity.
And God is the One whose help is to be sought, and He is the good helper and supporter.
Signed by:
Quwat Nisr al-Jabal
Faz‘at Fakhr
Quwat Nashama al-Jabal
Quwat Nusur al-Jabal
Tajammu‘ Abna’ al-Jabal
Faz‘at Shabab al-Jabal
Saraya al-Jabal
Counterterrorism Force
Quwat Shaykh al-Karama
Quwat al-‘Aliya
The Local Forces
Quwat Toud al-Jabal
al-Qahirun
Quwat ‘Arin al-Jabal
Quwat Fursan Hamza
Quwat Shams al-Janub
Quwat Dhiyab Hamza
Quwat al-Fahad
Humat al-Thughur
Quwat al-Sultan
Quwat al-Ghayara
Quwat al-Nashama
Quwat Dir‘ al-Lajat
al-Suwayda’ Operations in all its cadres
Quwat Shams al-Janub
Majmu‘at Khayal Ta‘ara
Quwat Dir‘ al-Jabal Zayn al-Din
Bayraq Faz‘at Maf‘ala
Khawal al-Jabal
Druze Protection Units
Quwat al-Asayil
Jaysh al-Muwahhidin
Bayraq al-Ra‘ad T
Published originally on August 23, 2025.
