QUNEITRA, Syria — On March 19, an Israeli drone strike targeted and killed Yasser al-Sayed, a fighter with the little-known Golan Regiment, a faction within the pro-government National Defense Forces in Quneitra, in southern Syria.

While the reasons behind the drone strike are still shrouded in mystery — according to senior sources within the Golan Regiment, Sayed was a fighter with no particular rank — it briefly shone a spotlight onto a group that is somewhat unique in both its creation and its location.

The Golan Regiment came into existence in 2014; based in Quneitra province, it is the first pro-government armed group made up of former Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters.

Following years of fighting against the Syrian army and its allies in one of the country’s most sensitive areas — Israel on one side, the Syrian army and its Hezbollah and Iranian allies on the other — dozens of FSA fighters sought amnesty from the government to then turn their weapons on those they previously fought alongside. Today, the National Defense Forces-linked Golan Regiment can be found fighting not just on the front lines in Quneitra and the Golan Heights, but also in Hama and Jobar in Damascus, fighting side by side with the very people they used to fight against.