The jihadist militia Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) and its leader, Mohammed al-Golan, have been trying for a week to overthrow the regime of dictator Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
The group was responsible for the rebel offensive that began in November and resulted in the capture of key cities in Syria, in one of the most violent advances in the country’s 13-year civil war.
The exchange of hostilities between HTS and the Assad regime began with the formation of the group in 2017, but its roots go back to the conflict between the Syrian regime and the al-Nusra front, its main predecessor faction.
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The al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front emerged in 2012 as one of the most organized armed opposition forces during the civil war. From the beginning, the group positioned itself as one of the main adversaries of the Assad regime.
When HTS was founded, incorporating the al-Nusra front and other smaller jihadist groups, it continued the line of open hostility against Assad, mainly in the Idlib region. The United States and the UN have long designated HTS as a terrorist organization.
The founder of the al-Nusra front, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, is considered the “face” of HTS and the militia’s main strategist. Soon after assuming leadership of the group, Golani and his group soon claimed responsibility for deadly bombings, vowed to attack Western forces, confiscated property of religious minorities and sent religious police to enforce modest dress on women.
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Golani and HTS have sought to remake themselves in recent years, focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action, noted researcher Aaron Zelin. His group broke ties with Al-Qaeda in 2016. The break, consolidated in 2017, was an attempt by the Syrian group to reposition itself as a jihadist force focused on objectives inside Syria.
It was this rupture that officially culminated in the creation of HTS. However, the decision sparked internal divisions and criticism from leaders such as Ayman al-Zawahiri, who accused Al-Golani of abandoning the global ideals of jihadism in favor of regional interests. Dissidents who rejected separation have formed rival groups, such as Hurras al-Din, which remain loyal to al-Qaeda.
While the rupture has allowed HTS to consolidate its hold on Idlib province and adopt a more pragmatic approach to the conflict, the group continues to face legitimacy challenges.
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Golani has cracked down on some extremist groups on his territory and increasingly portrays himself as a protector of other religions. This includes last year allowing the first Christian mass in the city of Idlib in years.
In 2018, the Trump administration acknowledged that it was no longer directly targeting Golani, Zelin said. But HTS has allowed some wanted armed groups to continue operating on its territory, and has fired on U.S. special forces until at least 2022, he said.
Jolani’s leadership
Abu Mohamed al Jolani is the leader of the Islamic rebel group. For years, the rebel leader operated in the shadows. But now he is in the spotlight, offering interviews to international media outlets and being seen in Syria’s second city, Aleppo, after being completely ousted from government for the first time since the civil war that broke out in 2011.
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Over the years he also stopped wearing the usual jihadist turban and opted for military clothing. Since breaking ties with al Qaeda in 2016, Jolani has tried to present himself as a more moderate leader. But it still raises suspicions among Western analysts and governments, who classify HTS as a terrorist organization.
According to the Middle East Eye news portal, Jolani began to be attracted to jihadist postulates after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the USA, when he began “attending sermons and clandestine discussions in the marginal suburbs of Damascus”.
After the US invasion of Iraq, the now rebel leader left Syria to take part in the fighting. There he joined Al Qaeda in Iraq, led by Abu Musab al Zarqawi, and spent five years in detention, which prevented him from rising to positions in the jihadist organization.
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In March 2011, when the revolt against Assad broke out, he returned home and founded the Al Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda. In 2013, he refused to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who would become the emir of the Islamic States group, and favored al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
In January 2017, Jolani forced a merger of HTS with rival Islamist groups in northwestern Syria and regained control over parts of Idlib province that had escaped presidential control.
In areas under its control, HTS implemented a civilian government and established a state of sorts in Idlib province, while crushing rival rebels. But in the process, it faced accusations from residents and human rights groups of brutal abuses against dissidents that the UN has classified as war crimes.
Knowing the fear and hatred that his group arouses, Jolani addressed the residents of Aleppo, with a significant Christian minority, to assure them that they would not suffer harm under the new regime.
(With international agencies)
