Sheikh Laith al-Balous, son of Sheikh Waheed al-Balous who founded the Men of Dignity Movement in southern Syria’s Suweida, survived an assassination attempt by unidentified assailants while driving with several family members in his private car.
Local network monitors reported that on Saturday, Balous was shot in the left thigh during the assassination attempt. He was subsequently transported to a private hospital in the city of Suweida. One of the sources noted that Balous was with his wife and mother in the car when gunmen directly targeted him with the intention of killing him.
Balous, an opponent of the regime in Suweida, is the son of Wahid al-Balous, the founder and leader of the Men of Dignity movement who was assassinated in 2015 by security branch militia leaders. His name was included in a leaked list that contained the names of prominent individuals whom the regime intended to assassinate.
In recent years, Balous has been a staunch supporter of demonstrators and has stood up against the Military Security Branch’s killing and kidnapping, particularly the Raji Falhout gang, which is backed by the regime.
Balous has previously accused Iranian and Hezbollah militias of assassinating his father and several Men of Dignity members in the 2015 bombings. He also made a vow to unearth the grave of Hafez al-Assad in Qardaha after a regime official mocked the people of Suweida and the Druze community.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
