Druze Factions of al-Suwayda': Interview with Quwat al-Mithaq

With the passing of one year since the fall of the Assad regime, the situation in al-Suwayda’ province still remains at an impasse between the Syrian government forces that control northern and western countryside areas, and the rest of the province under the control of local Druze factions, most if not all of which are nominally united under the ‘National Guard’ project endorsed by Druze spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hijri.

Among those ‘National Guard’ factions is Quwat al-Mithaq (“The Covenant Forces”), whose leader Hasan al-Othman I recently interviewed regarding the latest developments and outlook in the province, including the controversy surrounding a recent alleged ‘conspiracy’ of collaborators working with the government.

Emblem of Quwat al-Mithaq

Q: When was Quwat al-Mithaq formed?