Men of Dignity

Its primary focus during the early years of the Syrian civil war was to avoid the conscription of Druze men into the Syrian Arab Army.^[29] The group continued to assist draft evaders, as of 2020.^[30] The militia has been described as a "third-way" faction, with researcher Thomas Pierret emphasizing that the group was "really about defending the province."^[31]

Wahid al-Balous, who was the founder of the organization, was assassinated by a car bomb in Suwayda in September 2015.^[5] Two months after his assassination, his brother Ra'fat assumed leadership, though he would cede the position to Yahya al-Hajjar as a result of injuries which he sustained in the assassination.^[5] Abu Diab became the leader of the group in August 2025.^[7]

One of Wahid's sons, Laith al-Balous, was expelled from the Men of Dignity in 2015 after his father's death.^[6]

Laith's brother, Fahd al-Balous,^[32] and Laith are aligned with the Guest House of Dignity, with Laith serving as the leader.^[33]

The battle that was fought in the Battle of Dama in August 2014 in the village of Dama against the Al-Nusra Front became known as the "al-Karama battle", meaning the "battle of Dignity", and those who fought in it were nicknamed the "Men of Dignity."^[24] The faction battled alongside the Assad regime.^[3]

Residents and members of the group protested in June 2015 against the removal of "tanks and artillery" that were being moved outside of the governorate, allowing three tanks to leave for repairs, while others vehicles were returned.^[34]

The Men of Dignity allied with Al-Jabal Brigade and the armed wing of the Syrian Socialist National Party, Eagles of the Whirlwind, in July 2018 while fighting against the Islamic State.^[16]

A member of the group died^[17] following September 2020 clashes between the Eighth Brigade and Druze groups, including the Sheikh al-Karama Forces, Al-Fahd Forces, Kata'ib Humat al-Diyar, Ma’an Zahreddin group, Karem Ubaid group, and Usoud al-Jabal group, in addition to the National Defence Forces.^[18]

Following multiple kidnappings by the Military Intelligence Directorate-affiliated Raji Falhout group, led by Raji Falhout, the Men of Dignity and several other Druze militias clashed with the Raji Falhout group in July 2022 and took over their headquarters.^[22] The following month, the Men of Dignity continued their campaign against armed groups and confronted the Al-Fahd Forces in Qanawat.^[23]

The Men of Dignity engaged in combat with the Assad-aligned military in the city of Suwayda during the 2024 Southern Syria offensive, resulting in at least two deaths and four wounded.^[19]

The group issued a joint statement with the Al-Jabal Brigade in January 2025 emphasizing that it was prepared to integrate into a new "military body", following the December 2024 fall of the Assad regime.^[35]

At least one member of the organization, Wajdi al-Hajj Ali, died in the April 2025 Rif Dimashq clashes.^[26]

The office of Suwayda governor Mustafa al-Bakour was stormed on 21 May 2025 by armed criminals who successfully released Raghib Qarqout, a convicted car thief. The Men of Dignity provided cover for al-Bakour's exit, while the Al-Jabal Brigade engaged with the criminals.^[36]

The group fought against the Syrian state in the July 2025 Southern Syria clashes and suffered at least 50 fatalities.^[20] A week later, the militia announced that it had sustained 46 additional deaths.^[37]

In late August, the Men of Dignity joined the Druze-led National Guard of Suwayda.^[7][38] Notably, the group was opposed to Hikmat al-Hijri before the outbreak of violence in July.^[39] According to Men of Dignity spokesman Bassem Abu Fakhr, many of the groups' fighters were expected to form a new brigade under the National Guard.^[40]

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