Layth al-Balous' Statement on Events in al-Suwayda'

Layth al-Balous, the son of Rijal al-Karama founder Wahid al-Balous and head of the ‘Dignity Guesthouse’ (Madhafat al-Karama), has finally issued his own official statement on the recent events in the primarily Druze province of al-Suwayda’ in southern Syria. Layth has generally been known to be supportive of engagement with the Syrian government, and when the Syrian government initially deployed military and security forces from outside the province, he reportedly welcomed those forces. As clashes broke out between those forces and local armed Druze groups, false rumours emerged that he had been killed by Druze fighters proclaiming loyalty to Hikmat al-Hijri (one of the three most senior Druze spiritual leaders in Syria).

The statement’s main points of note are as follows: