National Guard (Suwayda)


The National Guard is a Druze paramilitary group and united front based in Suwayda Governorate, southern Syria. It was announced on 23 August 2025 as a unified force of multiple local factions to coordinate military and security efforts in the governorate.

Formation

On 23 August 2025, amid a wave of clashes and instability in Southern Syria, a number of armed groups in Suwayda issued statements declaring their merger under the umbrella of the "National Guard".
According to their founding declaration, the move was intended to create "an organized and solid force entrusted with protecting the mountain and its people".
The groups emphasized their "absolute commitment to the decisions of the spiritual leadership represented by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri".

Objectives

The National Guard declared itself as the "official military institution representing the Druze community" in the governorate. Its announced primary objectives include:
  • Unifying local armed factions into a single command structure.
  • Defending Suwayda and the Druze community against external threats.
  • Preserving the Unitarian Druze identity.
  • Cooperating with other "auxiliary forces" operating in the region.

Organization

Structure

The National Guard describes itself as a fully merged force rather than a loose coalition. Its leadership has pledged loyalty to the guidance of the Druze spiritual authority in Suwayda, represented by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri. The Institute for the Study of War reported on 25 August that around 40 groups were united to form the National Guard.

Founding groups

The following notable groups endorsed the formation of the National Guard the day it was announced:
The National Guard has been described as a merger of the involved groups.
According to Enab Baladi, other groups that later joined include "Men of Dignity, the Unitarian Popular Resistance, Southern Shield Forces, Mountain Shield Forces, Lions of the Mountain Forces, Shield of Tawhid, Sahwat al-Khedr Shield, Mimas and Tal al-Lawz, Men of al-Lajat and Men of al-Kafr", while the 164th Brigade joined on 24 August.
The Suwayda Military Council announced on 27 August that it was committed to joining the National Guard.
In October 2025, the Institute for the Study of War reported that several Druze factions in Suwayda Governorate continued to join under the banner of the National Guard.

Military

Conventional weapons

A video published on 7 September 2025 published by the group shows over a dozen operational vehicles, many of which were mounted with weaponry and filled with combatants. Most firearms so far included seem to be Iranian-produced. At least one AM-50 "Sayyad" anti-materiel sniper rifle was included, whose Sayyad variant was widely exported and proliferated after 2008 and continues to be commonly used by Syrian rebel groups. This was due to their modification potential and in case of being properly maintained, their potential to outrange assault rifles. Studies of weaponry sold in these regions, however, shows poor maintenance. There were multiple ZU-23-2 autocannons, all of which were mounted to flatbed trucks, a weapon and mounting which is common for rebel groups and a mainstay of Syrian Civil War weaponry. Numerous KPV heavy machine guns were seen, also mounted to trucks. They are also common in Syria, and are similar to the ZU-23-2. A number of DShKM Type 54 variant heavy machine guns were in the National Guard's arsenal, again mounted to trucks.

Reactions

Laith al-Balous criticized the group for its ties to the Sword of Justice Forces and the Al-Fahd Forces, noting their ties to Assad-era figures Ali Mamlouk and Kifah Moulhem, as well as drug trafficker Raji Falhout.