Syria’s Suwayda residents mark 9th anniversary of Druze leader’s assassination
SUWAYDA, Syria (North Press) – Residents of Suwayda Governorate in southern Syria commemorated on Wednesday the ninth anniversary of the assassination of Sheikh Wahid al-Balous, founder of the Men of Dignity movement.
The residents commemorated the assassination of al-Balous, along with dozens of civilians who were killed in two simultaneous explosions nine years ago.
Al-Balous and other leaders of the Men of Dignity movement were killed in an explosion as his convoy passed along the Dahr al-Jabal road in Suwayda on Sep. 04, 2015.
Shortly after, another explosion occurred in front of the National Hospital in the city, killing over 40 people, including women and children.
Military Security chief of the government forces, Brigadier General Wafiq Nasser, has been accused of orchestrating the two bombings, as he had previously threatened to eliminate the movement and its leaders before the attacks.
The Men of Dignity movement is a self-defense militia established after the outbreak of the Syrian conflict to defend the Suwayda area. Described as a terror organization by Russia, it took an initial position against the Syrian government in the early days of the conflict but did not engage in any armed struggle with government forces.
Al-Balous had opposed the government’s security policies in Suwayda and rejected the conscription of the region’s youth into government forces during the Syrian civil war.
