Just couple weeks ago, sudden fall of Assad regime in Syria was unthinkable given how it had managed to hold its own in the civil war. The frontlines with the rebel were largely frozen and a stalemate-like situation prevailed for last several years. Cut to December 8, the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has control of Syrian capital Damascus besides other important Syrian cities, Assad has fled and his regime has collapsed. Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of HTS is now in the limelight.
What Is HTS, the Rebel Faction Which Captured Damascus?
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) began as Jabhat-al-Nusra Front. The Nusra front had ties with Al-Qaida when it was formed. Nusra front had many jihadists in its ranks. The group began to come together around the start of the Syrian civil war.
Jolani himself fought against the US forces in Iraq in a group which ultimately became ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
In 2016, the al-Nusra front publicly severed ties with Al-Qaida and transformed itself into Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Although HTS publicly severed ties with Al-Qaida, it is not fully clear if jihadist thought has perished from its ranks.
New York Times has reported that in regions of Syria under HTS's control, it has in past tried to enforce rule based on conservative interpretation of Islam.
Jolani on Sunday however, appeared to strike a conciliatory tone when he addressed his supporters in Damascus after Assad's escape.
He said that Syria was for every Syrian.
"A new history, my brothers, is being written in the entire region after this great victory," he said. It would take hard work to build a new Syria which he said would be "a beacon for the Islamic nation," said Jolani.
