New Druze militia forms in Syria as Hijri calls for autonomy
Tensions are running high in southern Syria, despite government efforts to investigate the recent violence and deliver more aid.
A new Druze armed group, bringing together factions from Suwayda and southern Syria, announced its formation Monday — a move that comes as a top Druze leader calls for autonomy and as Damascus struggles to reassert control over the area after recent sectarian violence.
The group, calling itself the National Guard, announced its formation in a Facebook post on Monday. The announcement listed a number of local factions that agreed to join, most notably the Men of Dignity.
That same day, Druze religious leader Hikmat al-Hijri called on the international community to support the declaration of a “separate region for our protection forever,” citing the “barbaric attack” the community is being subjected to in the country.
“We always have the right to defend ourselves. But we also refuse to be aggressors to others,” he said.
