Laith al-Balous
Laith al-Balous is a Syrian Druze leader.
He and his brother, Fahd, were initially part of the Druze militia Men of Dignity headed by their father, Wahid al-Balous, though they were forced out following his assassination in 2015. The two brothers formed the Sheikh al-Karama Forces, and Laith heads the Guest House of Dignity.
Life
Laith and Fahd are sons of Wahid al-Balous, the assassinated founder of the Druze militia Men of Dignity. Laith was expelled from the militia not long after the assassination. They formed the Sheikh al-Karama Forces, and Laith briefly affiliated with the Anti-Terrorism Force though he heads the Guest House of Dignity, which was formerly the "operations and administrative center" for the Men of Dignity. Laith was sharply critical of the leadership of the Men of Dignity.He was injured in the 2015 assassination of his father as was his brother, Fahd, and his uncle, Raf'at. Laith has shrapnel from the bomb blast in his shoulder.
Al-Balous met with a Russian delegation in August 2022 and called for the ending of conscription of young men in the area, opposing Iranian troops in the governorate and "armed groups" that were affiliated with it or the militant group Hezbollah.
Laith survived multiple assassination attempts on his own life. One attempt took place on 13 May 2023 in Al-Mazraa, where he was shot in the left thigh after being targeted by gunmen who were on a motorcycle while another happened on 1 May 2025 in Shahba.
He has pursued close ties with the Ahmed al-Sharaa administration and emphasized his support for a ceasefire in Suwayda, along with the "return of Syrian state institutions"
and "continued efforts to control the security situation" in an August interview with the Syrian Arab News Agency.
He is perceived to have an overstated influence on Druze affairs and "has no... grassroots authority" in the governorate, according to Hadeel Oueis of the Jamestown Foundation.