Battle of Dama
The Battle of Dama, also known as the al-Karama battle by the Men of Dignity, was a battle for the city of Dama, Suwayda carried out by Druze militants against Al-Nusra Front.
Battle
The battle began on 16 August 2014, following the bombing of the city of Dama and Deir Dama, in the rural area of Suwayda Governorate either by the Al-Nusra Front, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, or by Sunni Bedouin tribes, due to disagreements over grazing in Suwayda Governorate.Wahid al-Balous, a well-known Druze sheikh, fought in the battle alongside Ba'athist Syria, with other pro-Assad militias, such as Jaysh al-Muwahhidin and Popular Committees. The battle ended on 20 August 2014.
Aftermath
18 Druze fighters died in the battle, among them the brother of Wahid al-Balous.The battle was known as "al-Karama battle" or "battle of dignity" and the groups that participated in it were called the Men of Dignity thereafter. At the funeral, held in the city's municipal stadium, Wahid al-Balous appeared and declared himself to be the leader of the group Men of Dignity, in addition to declaring that the Ba'athist Syria "shot his men in the back".
In September 2015, a car bomb exploded, killing al-Balous. The person whom the Assad regime declared responsible for the act was a militant from Al-Nusra Front, Wafi Abu Trabi.