Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) (,
transliteration
Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one writing system, script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt:littera#Latin, liter-'') in predictable ways, such as ...
: ', "Organization for the Liberation of the Levant" or "Levant Liberation Committee"),
commonly referred to as Tahrir al-Sham, is a
Sunni Islamist political and armed organisation involved in the
Syrian Civil War. It was formed on 28 January 2017 as a merger between Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly
al-Nusra Front
Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
), the
Ansar al-Din Front
Jabhat Ansar al-Din ( ar, جبهة أنصار الدين, ''The Supporters of the Religion Front'') is a jihadist alliance that announced itself on 25 July 2014, during the Syrian Civil War. The alliance contains two groups: Harakat Sham al-Isla ...
,
Jaysh al-Sunna
Jaysh al-Sunna ( ar, جيش السنة) was a Homs-based Islamist rebel group that was established as a merger between different rebel groups, some of which originally came from the Free Syrian Army's Farouq Brigades, and is active during the Sy ...
,
Liwa al-Haqq, and the
Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement
The Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement ( ar, حركة نور الدين الزنكي ''Ḥaraka Nūr ad-Dīn az-Zankī'') was a Sunni Islamist rebel group involved in the Syrian Civil War. In 2014, it was reportedly one of the most influential factio ...
.
During the foundation declaration, then-
Emir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...
Abu Jaber Shaykh described the Levant Liberation Committe "an independent entity" free from all the previous relations and allegiances as a result of the newly formed union, thereby disassociating itself from factions such as the Al-Nusra Front. Proclaiming the nascent organisation as "a new stage in the life of the blessed revolution”, Abu Jaber called upon all factions of the
Syrian opposition
The Syrian opposition ( ar, المعارضة السورية ', ) is the political structure represented by the Syrian National Coalition and associated Syrian anti-Assad groups with certain territorial control as an alternative Syrian gover ...
to unite under its Islamic leadership and wage a "popular
Jihad
Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...
" to achieve the objectives of the
Syrian revolution; namely ousting of the
Assad regime
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and its
Hezbollah
Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
partners from
Syrian territories and form an
Islamic government
''Islamic Government'' ( fa, حکومت اسلامی, ''Hokumat-i Eslami''), also known as ''The Jurist's Guardianship: Islamic Government'',
( fa, حکومت اسلامی ولایت فقیه, ''Velayat-e faqih: Hokumat-i Eslami '') Abrahamian, ...
.
After the announcement, additional groups and individuals joined. The merged group is currently led by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and former Ahrar al-Sham leaders, although the High Command consists of leaders from other groups.
Many groups and individuals defected from
Ahrar al-Sham
Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya ( ar-at, حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية, Ḥarakat Aḥrāru š-Šām al-Islāmiyah, lit=Islamic Movement of the Freemen of the Levant), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, is a coalition ...
, representing their more conservative and
Salafist
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generati ...
elements. The Ansar al-Din Front
and Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement
have since split off from Tahrir al-Sham. It had an estimated 6,000-15,000 members in 2022.
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham gives allegiance to the
Syrian Salvation Government
The Syrian Salvation Government () is a de facto alternative government of the Syrian opposition in Idlib Governorate, formed in early November 2017. There followed weeks of conflict between the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) and the Syrian In ...
, which is an alternative government of the
Syrian opposition
The Syrian opposition ( ar, المعارضة السورية ', ) is the political structure represented by the Syrian National Coalition and associated Syrian anti-Assad groups with certain territorial control as an alternative Syrian gover ...
in Idlib Governorate.
History
Background
Al-Nusra/JFS co-operated with
Ahrar al-Sham
Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya ( ar-at, حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية, Ḥarakat Aḥrāru š-Šām al-Islāmiyah, lit=Islamic Movement of the Freemen of the Levant), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, is a coalition ...
for much of 2015–16. Leading Ahrar al-Sham cleric
Abu Jaber
Hashim al-Shaykh ( ar, هاشم الشيخ), also known by his '' nom de guerre'' Abu Jaber Shaykh ( ar, أبو جابر الشيخ) is a rebel commander during the Syrian Civil War who is a senior leader of Tahrir al-Sham. He had reportedly re ...
had long criticized al-Nusra's affiliation to al-Qaeda as setting back the cause of the rebels, and had also been the focus of attempts to unify Islamist rebel elements.
He led a more Islamist and less nationalist faction within Ahrar al-Sham,
Jaysh al-Ahrar, which supported merger of Ahrar al-Sham with JFS. There were merger talks in late 2016, but these broke down. In early 2017 it
clashed with rival Islamist groups in Idlib, in particular Ahrar al-Sham, but Jaish al-Ahrar detached itself from Ahrar al-Sham to merge with JFS in a new body.
Formation
Abdullah al-Muhaysini
, english: Abdullah Mohammed al-Shammari
, title =
, period =
, predecessor =
, successor =
, ordination =
, post =
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Buraida ...
, Abu Taher al-Hamawi, and
Abd ar-Razzaq al-Mahdi worked on the formation of the group. The new formation was announced on 28 January 2017.
According to Syria analyst Charles Lister, Ahrar al-Sham lost some 800-1,000 defectors to HTS, but gained at least 6,000-8,000 more from the merger into its ranks of
Suqor al-Sham,
Jaish al-Mujahideen,
Fastaqim Union
The Fastaqim Kama Umirt Union ( ar-at, تجمعُ فاستقم كما أمرتَ, Tajammuʿ Fastaqim Kamā Umirt, lit=Union of Be Upright as Ordered) is a rebel group active during the Syrian Civil War.
History Operations of the main faction
...
and the western Aleppo units of the
Levant Front
The Levant Front ( ar, الجبهة الشامية, al-Jabhat aš-Šāmiyya, Jabhat al-Shamiyah, also translated as the Sham Front or the Levantine Front) is a Syrian rebel group based around Aleppo involved in the Syrian Civil War. It was for ...
, and the Idlib-based units of
Jaysh al-Islam
)
, successor =
, allies = *
*
*
*
* Free Syrian Army
* Ahrar al-Sham
*al-Rahman Legion (sometimes)
*1st Brigade of Damascus (sometimes)
* Al-Nusra Front (formerly)
* Saraya Ahl al-Sham
* Aknaf Bait al-Maqdis
, opponents ...
. JFS meanwhile lost several hundred fighters to Ahrar al-Sham, but gained 3,000-5,000 fighters from its merger with Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zinki, Liwa al-Haq, Jaish al-Sunna, and Jabhat Ansar al-Din into HTS.
Nour al-Din al-Zenki had at one time been supported by the US.
Consolidation of power (January-August 2017)
January
![Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters in Mushairfa, northeastern Hama](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Hayat_Tahrir_al-Sham_fighters_in_Mushairfa%2C_northeastern_Hama.png)
Soon after the group's formation, many local Syrians began referring to the group as Hetesh, which was an
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
acronym meant as a pejorative, similar to the "Daesh" label applied to ISIL by much of the Arab world. This labeling indicated that many Syrians saw Tahrir al-Sham as no different from ISIL, especially given the similarities between Tahrir al-Sham's recent attacks and ISIL's massive offensive on rebel forces in 2014.
On 30 January, it was reported that there were around 31,000 fighters in Tahrir al-Sham.
February
HTS suffered losses from air attacks by Coalition forces. On 3 February, a US airstrike struck a Tahrir al-Sham headquarters
in
Sarmin
Sarmin ( ar, سَرْمِين, Sarmīn also spelled Sarmeen) is a town in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Idlib Governorate, located 15 kilometers southeast of Idlib. It has an altitude of about 390 meters. Nearby localities i ...
, killing 12 members of HTS and
Jund al-Aqsa
Jund al-Aqsa ( ar, جند الأقصى ''Jund al-‘Aqṣā'', "Garrison of al-Aqsa"), later known as Liwa al-Aqsa after 7 February 2017, was a Salafist jihadist organization that was active during the Syrian Civil War. Formerly known as Sara ...
. 10 of the killed militants were HTS members.
The airstrike also killed HTS commander Ibrahim al-Rihaal Abu Bakr, according to analyst
Kyle Orton
Kyle Raymond Orton (born November 14, 1982) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Dr ...
.
There has been resistance to HTS by civilians in rebel areas it controls. On 3 February, hundreds of Syrians demonstrated under the slogan "There is no place for
al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
in Syria" in the towns of
Atarib
Atarib ( ar, أتارب, ʾAtārib), also known as Atharib or Athareb, is a town in western Aleppo countryside, Aleppo Governorate, Syria. Located west of the city of Aleppo and southeast of Reyhanlı in Turkish-administered Hatay Province, i ...
,
Azaz
Azaz ( ar, أَعْزَاز, ʾAʿzāz) is a city in northwest Syria, roughly north-northwest of Aleppo. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Azaz had a population of 31,623 in the 2004 census. ,
Maarat al-Nu'man to protest against HTS. In response, supporters of HTS organized
counter-protest
A counter-protest (also spelled counterprotest) is a protest action which takes place within the proximity of an ideologically opposite protest. The purposes of counter-protests can range from merely voicing opposition to the objective of the othe ...
s in
al-Dana, Idlib, Atarib, and
Khan Shaykhun
Khan Shaykhun ( ar, خَان شَيْخُون, Ḵān Šayḵūn), sometimes spelled Khan Sheikhoun or Khan Shikhoun, is a town in the Maarrat al-Nu'man District, within the southern Idlib Governorate of northwestern Syria.
Khan Shaykhun is locate ...
. In Idlib pro- Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham protests were held waving pictures of its emir
Abu Jaber
Hashim al-Shaykh ( ar, هاشم الشيخ), also known by his '' nom de guerre'' Abu Jaber Shaykh ( ar, أبو جابر الشيخ) is a rebel commander during the Syrian Civil War who is a senior leader of Tahrir al-Sham. He had reportedly re ...
on 3 February 2017. Attendance at a speech by HTS cleric
Abdullah al-Muhaysini
, english: Abdullah Mohammed al-Shammari
, title =
, period =
, predecessor =
, successor =
, ordination =
, post =
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Buraida ...
was manipulated by drawing
internally displaced person
An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee.
A ...
s and impoverished people with promises of
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
s and
refrigerator
A refrigerator, colloquially fridge, is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (mechanical, electronic or chemical) that transfers heat from its inside to its external environment so th ...
s through a raffle.
On 4 February 2017, a US airstrike killed al-Qaeda commander
Abu Hani al-Masri, who was a part of Ahrar al-Sham at the time of his death. It was reported that he was about to defect to Tahrir al-Sham before his death.
On the same day, Tahrir al-Sham official Muslah al-Alyani criticized other groups for not joining Tahrir al-Sham, arguing that any group that "fought for Islam" would be bombed, regardless of terrorist designations. In his statement, he indicated that one of the reasons why most Ahrar al-Sham fighters refused to join Tahrir al-Sham was because the latter group contained terrorist-designated individuals.
Around 8 February,
Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi confirmed that 2 senior Jabhat Fateh al-Sham leaders loyal to al-Qaeda, including former al-Nusra deputy leader
Sami al-Oraydi, left Tahrir al-Sham after its formation.
A speech was released by Abu Jaber on 9 February. He emphasized his group being an "independent entity" and praised his "brothers" in the "Syrian
Jihad
Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...
". The statement included
derogatory rhetoric on Shia Muslims, saying the Shiites (“rejectionists”) will “enslave the region" if the rebels lose the war.
On 12 February, the Bunyan al-Marsous Operations Room, of which Tahrir al-Sham was a member, launched an
offensive
Offensive may refer to:
* Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative
* Offensive (military), an attack
* Offensive language
** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
against the
Syrian Army
" (''Guardians of the Homeland'')
, colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive
* Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki
, anniversaries = August 1st
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Six ...
in
Daraa
Daraa ( ar, دَرْعَا, Darʿā, Levantine Arabic: , also Darʿā, Dara’a, Deraa, Dera'a, Dera, Derʿā and Edrei; means "''fortress''", compare Dura-Europos) is a city in southwestern Syria, located about north of the border with Jordan ...
's Manshiyah district. Tahrir al-Sham forces reportedly began the attack with 2
suicide bomber
A suicide attack is any violent attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have occurred throughout histor ...
s and
car bomb
A car bomb, bus bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles.
Car bombs can be roughly divided ...
s.
On 13 February, clashes erupted between the previously-allied Tahrir al-Sham and
Jund al-Aqsa
Jund al-Aqsa ( ar, جند الأقصى ''Jund al-‘Aqṣā'', "Garrison of al-Aqsa"), later known as Liwa al-Aqsa after 7 February 2017, was a Salafist jihadist organization that was active during the Syrian Civil War. Formerly known as Sara ...
, also called Liwa al-Aqsa, in northern Hama and southern Idlib.
On 15 February, Ahrar al-Sham published an infographic on its recent defections, claiming that only 955 fighters had defected to Tahrir al-Sham.
There were also reports that Ahrar al-Sham, the
Sham Legion,
Jaysh al-Izza, the
Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria
The Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria (TIP; ar, الحزب الإسلامي التركستاني في سوريا tr, Türkistan İslam Partisi, zh, 突厥斯坦伊斯兰党) is the Syrian branch of the Turkistan Islamic Party, an armed Uyghur ...
, and the Tamkin Brigade would soon merge to form a new organization called the
Syrian Liberation Front
Jabhat Tahrir Suriya
, native_name_lang =
, war = the Syrian Civil War
, image = File:Logo of the Syrian Liberation Front.png
, caption = The logo of the Syrian Liberation Front
, active = 18 Febru ...
.
On 19 February, HTS arrested local FSA commander Anas Ibrahim in
Atarib
Atarib ( ar, أتارب, ʾAtārib), also known as Atharib or Athareb, is a town in western Aleppo countryside, Aleppo Governorate, Syria. Located west of the city of Aleppo and southeast of Reyhanlı in Turkish-administered Hatay Province, i ...
, and, in response, an anti-HTS protest was held in the town.
On 20 February, a Ma'arat al-Numan Shura Council was created by the
Sham Legion, Ahrar al-Sham, and Tahrir al-Sham.
On 22 February, the
Combating Terrorism Center
The Combating Terrorism Center is an academic institution at the United States Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, New York that provides education, research and policy analysis in the specialty areas of terrorism, counterterrorism, homelan ...
reported that Jabhat Fateh al-Sham had formed the Tahrir al-Sham group due to its fear of being isolated, and to counter Ahrar al-Sham's recent expansion during the clashes in the Idlib Province.
On 22 February, the last of Liwa al-Asqa's 2,100 militants left their final positions in
Khan Shaykhun
Khan Shaykhun ( ar, خَان شَيْخُون, Ḵān Šayḵūn), sometimes spelled Khan Sheikhoun or Khan Shikhoun, is a town in the Maarrat al-Nu'man District, within the southern Idlib Governorate of northwestern Syria.
Khan Shaykhun is locate ...
, with unconfirmed reports in pro-government media that they were to join ISIL in the Ar-Raqqah Province after a negotiated withdrawal deal with Tahrir al-Sham and the Turkistan Islamic Party.
Afterward, Tahrir al-Sham declared terminating Liwa al-Aqsa, and promised to watch for any remaining cells.
On 26 February, a US airstrike in Al-Mastoumeh, Idlib Province, killed
Abu Khayr al-Masri, who was the deputy leader of al-Qaeda.
The airstrike also killed another Tahrir al-Sham militant.
Abu Khayr's death left HTS freer to move away from al-Qaeda's control.
March
In early March 2017, local residents in the Idlib Province who supported FSA factions accused Tahrir al-Sham of doing more harm than good, saying that all they've done is "kidnap people, set up checkpoints, and terrorize residents."
On 16 March, a
US airstrike struck the village of al-Jinah, just southwest of
Atarib
Atarib ( ar, أتارب, ʾAtārib), also known as Atharib or Athareb, is a town in western Aleppo countryside, Aleppo Governorate, Syria. Located west of the city of Aleppo and southeast of Reyhanlı in Turkish-administered Hatay Province, i ...
, killing at least 29 and possibly over 50 civilians; the US claimed the people targeted in the strike were "al-Qaeda militants" but the
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
, image = Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Logo.jpg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = The logo of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
, type = NGO
, founded_date =
, founder ...
(SOHR), local residents and local officials have said that the building struck was a mosque filled with worshipers, which was subseuqntly confirmed by
Bellingcat
Bellingcat (stylised as bellngcat) is a Netherlands-based investigative journalism group that specialises in fact-checking and open-source intelligence (OSINT). It was founded by British journalist and former blogger Eliot Higgins in July 2014 ...
.
On the morning of 21 March, according to pro-government media, a US drone strike in
Darkush
Darkush ( ar, دَرْكُوش, Darkūš; also spelled Darkoush or Derkush) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Idlib Governorate, located northwest of Idlib along the Syrian– Turkish borders on the Orontes River. Nearby ...
, Idlib Province, killed Abu Islam al-Masri, described as an Egyptian high-ranking HTS commander, and Abu al-'Abbas al-Darir, described as an Egyptian HTS commander;
however, the
Institute for the Study of War
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is a United States–based think tank founded in 2007 by Kimberly Kagan, providing research and analysis regarding issues of defense and foreign affairs. It has produced reports on the Syrian War, the War ...
reported that the commander killed was Sheikh Abu al-Abbas al-Suri. On the same day, Tahrir al-Sham launched the
2017 Hama offensive
Seventeen or 17 may refer to:
*17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18
* one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017
Literature
Magazines
* ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine
* ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...
against Syrian Government forces.
On 24 March, two
flatbed truck
A flatbed truck (or flatbed lorry in British English) is a type of truck which can be either articulated or rigid. As the name suggests, its bodywork is just an entirely flat, level 'bed' with no sides or roof. This allows for quick and easy load ...
s carrying
flour
Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...
and belonging to an
IHH-affiliated Turkish relief organization were stopped at a HTS checkpoint at the entrance to
Sarmada
Sarmada ( ar, سرمدا) is a town in the Harem District, Idlib Governorate of Syria.S ...
. HTS then seized the trucks and the flour, which was intended for a
bakery
A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who ...
in
Saraqib
Saraqib ( ar, سَرَاقِب, Sarāqib also spelled Saraqeb) is a city in northwestern Syria, administratively belonging to the Idlib Governorate, located east of Idlib. During the course of the Syrian Civil War, the city fell into rebel forces ...
. The seizure caused 2,000 families in the area to be cut off from a free supply of
bread
Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...
.
April
In April 2017,
Jaysh al-Islam
)
, successor =
, allies = *
*
*
*
* Free Syrian Army
* Ahrar al-Sham
*al-Rahman Legion (sometimes)
*1st Brigade of Damascus (sometimes)
* Al-Nusra Front (formerly)
* Saraya Ahl al-Sham
* Aknaf Bait al-Maqdis
, opponents ...
attacked the HTS and expelled it from the territories under its control in Eastern Ghouta.
On 3 May, HTS arrested
Suhail Muhammad Hamoud, "Abu
TOW
Towing is coupling two or more objects together so that they may be pulled by a designated power source or sources. The towing source may be a motorized land vehicle, vessel, animal, or human, and the load being anything that can be pulled. Th ...
", a former FSA fighter, in a house raid in Idlib. Earlier, al-Hamoud had published a photograph of him
smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke is typically breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, which have bee ...
in front of a HTS billboard that
prohibited smoking.
May
On 20 May, the main faction of the Abu Amara Battalions joined Tahrir al-Sham, which "now boasts a fighting force of some 50,000 militants" according to one pro-government media source.
However, the
covert operation
A covert operation is a military operation intended to conceal the identity of (or allow plausible deniability by) the party that instigated the operation. Covert operations should not be confused with clandestine operations, which are performe ...
s unit of the Abu Amara Battalions based in Aleppo remained independent.
On 27 May, according to
Al-Mayadeen, Tahrir al-Sham and
Saraya Ahl al-Sham
The Sham Liberation Army ( ar-at, جيش تحرير الشام, Jaysh Tahrir al-Sham), originally called the Sham Liberation Brigade ( ar-at, لواء تحرير الشام, Liwa Tahrir al-Sham), is an armed rebel group active in the Syrian Ci ...
clashed with the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
in the western
Qalamoun Mountains
The Qalamoun Mountains ( ar, جبال القلمون, Jabāl al-Qalamūn) are the northeastern portion of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, and they are northeast of the Syrian capital Damascus. They run from Barada River, Barada River Valley in the s ...
near
Arsal
Arsal (also spelled Aarsal, Ersal or 'Irsal; ar, عرسال), is a town and municipality situated east of Labweh, northeast of Beirut, in Baalbek District of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, Lebanon. ,
Lebanon–Syria border
The Lebanon–Syria border is 394 km (245 m) in length and runs from the Mediterranean coast in the north to the tripoint with Israel in the south.
Description
The border starts at confluence of the Nahr al-Kabir river with the Mediterranean ...
. 33 fighters were killed from both sides.
On 29 May, Tahrir al-Sham arrested opposition activist and FSA commander
Abdul Baset al-Sarout after accusing him of participating in an anti-HTS protest in
Maarat al-Nu'man.
June
On 2 June 2017, defectors from the Northern Brigade's Commandos of Islam Brigade reportedly joined Tahrir al-Sham, although Captain Kuja, leader of the unit, stated that he is still part of the Northern Brigade.
July
During 18–23 July, HTS launched a series of attacks on Ahrar al-Sham positions, which were quickly abandoned.
On 20 July 2017, the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement led by Sheikh Tawfiq Shahabuddin announced its withdrawal from Tahrir al-Sham amid
widespread conflict between HTS and Ahrar al-Sham, and became an independent Islamist group.
[ On 23 July 2017, Tahrir al-Sham expelled the remnants of ]Ahrar al-Sham
Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya ( ar-at, حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية, Ḥarakat Aḥrāru š-Šām al-Islāmiyah, lit=Islamic Movement of the Freemen of the Levant), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, is a coalition ...
from Idlib, capturing the entire city as well as 60% of the Idlib Governorate
Idlib Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة ادلب / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Idlib'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay province to the north, Aleppo Governorate to the east, Hama ...
. HTS was now the dominant armed group in opposition-held NW Syria.
August
On 18 August 2017, Tahrir al-Sham captured 8 rebel fighters from the town of Madaya after it accused them of wanting to return to Madaya during a ceasefire agreement
A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
.
Attacks (early 2017)
On 25 February 2017, 5 Tahrir al-Sham suicide bomber
A suicide attack is any violent attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have occurred throughout histor ...
s attacked the headquarters of the Syrian military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...
in Homs
Homs ( , , , ; ar, حِمْص / ALA-LC: ; Levantine Arabic: / ''Ḥomṣ'' ), known in pre-Islamic Syria as Emesa ( ; grc, Ἔμεσα, Émesa), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level ...
, killing dozens of security forces, including the head of the military security in Homs. Pictures of the attackers were released on Twitter. One of the attackers was a Khan Shaykhun native called Abu Hurayra (Safi Qatini), according to social media sources. The State Security branch chief and Military security branch chief died in the attack, according to social media sources. Hassan Daaboul was among the 40 assassinated by Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham.
The explosion killed Ibrahim Darwish, a Brigadier General and the state security branch's chief. Syrian reporter Moussa al-Omar posted pictures of officers and soldiers who were killed. The War Center Media gave a figure of six suicide attackers and a death toll of thirty. The death toll was given at twenty by Moussa when he posted it a breaking. The death toll was given at thirty five on 24 February according to Moussa. The injured numbered fifty four and the dead numbered forty seven on 25 February according to Moussa. Abu Yusuf al-Muhajir, a Tahrir al-Sham military spokesman was interviewed by Human Voice on the bombings. Twenty-six names were released. Sheikh Samir bin Ali Ka'aka Abu Abdurrahman from Eastern Ghouta suggested that the attack was carried out by Iranians in a dispute between Russians and Iranians. Geneva-based opposition Syrians claimed that the Homs strike was carried out by the government. The attack took place the same time as the beginning of the Geneva Four talks. The attack was praised by Liwa Omar al-Farouq Brigade leader in Ahrar Al-Sham
Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya ( ar-at, حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية, Ḥarakat Aḥrāru š-Šām al-Islāmiyah, lit=Islamic Movement of the Freemen of the Levant), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, is a coalition ...
, Abu Abdul Malik (Mahmoud Nemah). The attack was mentioned in an article in the publication ''Al-Masra'' by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( ar-at, تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit=Organization of the Base in the Arabian Peninsula or , ''Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jaz ...
. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani mentioned the Homs attack, stating that it was a message for the "defeatist politicians" to "step aside." It has been disputed that the raid resulted in the death of Ibrahim Darwish. Tariq Abdelhaleem Tariq Abdul Haleem (طارق عبد الحليم) is an Egyptian Islamist cleric residing in Canada in Ontario's city of Mississauga and head of the Dar al-Arqam institution there. Tariq Abdul Haleem, along with Abu Qatada, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdis ...
posted a tweet on the Homs attack by Tahrir al-Sham.
On 11 March 2017, Tahrir al-Sham carried out a twin bombing attack in the Bab al-Saghir area of Damascus's Old City, killing 76 and wounding 120. The death toll included 43 Iraqi pilgrims.
The attacks were at a shrine frequented by Shi'ite pilgrims and militiamen. They were described in a statement attributed to Tahrir al-Sham as targeting Iran-backed militias and pro-Assad fighters.
Beginning of decline, leadership passes from Abu Jaber (late 2017)
From September to November 2017, there were a series of assassinations of HTS leaders, in particular foreign clerics associated with the most hardline elements, such as Abu Talha al-Ordini, Abu Abdulrahman al-Mohajer, Abu Sulaiman al-Maghribi, Abu Yahya al-Tunisi, Suraqa al-Maki and Abu Mohammad al-Sharii, as well as some local military leaders, including Abu Elias al-Baniasi, Mustafa al-Zahri, Saied Nasrallah and Hassan Bakour. There was speculation that the assassinations were carried out either by pro-Turkish perpetrators, given the hostility between Turkey and HTS in Idlib, or by supporters of Johani's attempt to turn the organization away from hardline Salafi-jihadi positions. There were also high-profile defections from HTS in the same period, including Abdullah al-Muhaysini
, english: Abdullah Mohammed al-Shammari
, title =
, period =
, predecessor =
, successor =
, ordination =
, post =
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Buraida ...
and Muslah al-Alyani. In December, HTS arrested several prominent jihadi activists, former members of al-Nusra who remained loyal to al-Qaeda and rejected HTS's turn away from Salafi-jihadist positions. The move was interpreted as an attempt to re-establish as a more pragmatic, pan-Sunni group, with a more civilian structure. Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri (June 19, 1951 – July 31, 2022) was an Egyptian-born terrorist and physician who served as the second emir of al-Qaeda from June 16, 2011, until his death.
Al-Zawahiri graduated from Cairo University with ...
denounced this turn.
HTS announced Abu Jaber's resignation as the group's leader on 1 October 2017. He was succeeded by Nusra Front founder Abu-Muhammad al-Julani, who had already been the de facto military commander.
On 1 October 2017, the ibn Taymiyyah
Ibn Taymiyyah (January 22, 1263 – September 26, 1328; ar, ابن تيمية), birth name Taqī ad-Dīn ʾAḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm ibn ʿAbd al-Salām al-Numayrī al-Ḥarrānī ( ar, تقي الدين أحمد بن عبد الحليم ...
Battalions based in the town of Darat Izza
Darat Izza ( ar, دارة عزة, also spelled Darat Aza or Darit Izza) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Aleppo Governorate, located northwest of Aleppo. Nearby localities include Deir Samaan to the north, Anadan to t ...
defected from Tahrir al-Sham.
In October 2017, Russia claimed to have injured Abu Mohammed al-Joulani in an air raid; HTS denied the claim.
In November 2017, violent clashes erupted between the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement and Tahrir al-Sham in northern Idlib and western Aleppo, mainly in the area between Atme
Atme ( ar, اطمه, ‘Aṭma, also spelled Atma, Atima, Atmeh) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Idlib Governorate, located north of Idlib and just east of the border with Turkey. It lies southeast of Deir Ballut, south ...
and Khan al-Asal. HTS established the Syrian Salvation Government
The Syrian Salvation Government () is a de facto alternative government of the Syrian opposition in Idlib Governorate, formed in early November 2017. There followed weeks of conflict between the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) and the Syrian In ...
in Idlib, as a rival to the Syrian Interim Government
The Syrian Interim Government ''(SIG)'' is an alternative government in Syria, formed by the umbrella opposition group, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces. The interim government indirectly controls some areas ...
recognized by other rebels.
In early 2018, there were reports that HTS had been significantly weakened, and now had "a small presence in Eastern Ghouta and declining influence in Idlib, northern Hama, and western Aleppo provinces", with just 250 men in Eastern Ghouta and a total of 12,000 fighters.
In February 2018, Tahrir al-Sham was accused of killing Fayez al-Madani, an opposition delegate tasked with negotiations with the government over electricity delivery
Electricity delivery is the process that starts after generation of electricity in the power station, up to the use by the consumer.
The main processes in electricity delivery are, by order:
* Transmission
* Distribution
* Retailing
See also
* E ...
in the northern Homs Governorate
Homs Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة حمص / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Ḥimṣ'') is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in central Syria. Its area differs in various sources, from to . It is thus geographical ...
, in the city of al-Rastan
Al-Rastan ( ar, الرستن) is the third largest city in the Homs Governorate, located north of its administrative capital Homs and from Hama. Nearby localities include Talbiseh and al-Ghantu to the south, al-Zaafaraniyah and al-Mashrafah t ...
. Hundreds of people, including fighters of the Men of God Brigade, part of the Free Syrian Army
The Free Syrian Army (FSA) ( ar, الجيش السوري الحر, al-jaysh as-Sūrī al-ḥur) is a loose faction in the Syrian Civil War founded on 29 July 2011 by officers of the Syrian Armed Forces with the goal of bringing down the governm ...
's National Liberation Movement group, proceeded to demonstrate against HTS in the city on 13 February. In response, HTS withdrew from Rastan and handed over its headquarters in the city to the Men of God Brigade. A breakaway faction of former HTS members was formed in February 2018, called the Guardians of Religion Organization
Tanẓīm Ḥurrās ad-Dīn
, native_name_lang = ar
, war = the Syrian Civil War and the Iraqi insurgency (2017–present)
, image =
, caption =
, active = 27 February 2018–present
, ideology ...
.
HTS was left excluded of the 24 February ceasefire agreement on Eastern Ghouta. In late February, a group of armed factions, including Failaq al-Rahman and Jaysh al-Islam
)
, successor =
, allies = *
*
*
*
* Free Syrian Army
* Ahrar al-Sham
*al-Rahman Legion (sometimes)
*1st Brigade of Damascus (sometimes)
* Al-Nusra Front (formerly)
* Saraya Ahl al-Sham
* Aknaf Bait al-Maqdis
, opponents ...
, wrote to the UN declaring they were ready to "evacuate" remaining HTS fighters from Eastern Ghouta within 15 days. At the same time in Idlib Governorate, Ahrar al-Sham, Nour al-Din al-Zinki and Soqour al-Sham entered into conflict with HTS, taking significant territory.
During late 2017 and early 2018, it co-operated with Turkey in Idlib, leading to deepening tensions between the more pragmatic leadership and more hardline (especially foreign fighters) elements hostile to working with Turkey. Some of the latter split in February 2018 to form Huras al-Din. The HTS leadership also cracked down on remaining ISIS splinter cells active in Idlib. By August, when HTS entered into (unsuccessful) negotiations with Russia and Turkey, HTS was estimated to have around 3,000–4,000 foreign fighters, including non-Syrian Arabs, out of a total of 16,000 HTS fighters. On 31 August, Turkey declared HTS a terrorist organization.
2019
Revival and victory in Idlib
In January 2019, HTS was able to seize dozens of villages from rivals, and afterwards, a deal was reached in which the civil administration was to be led by HTS in the whole rebel-held Idlib Governorate.
In the wake of the 5th Idlib inter-rebel conflict, HTS gained control of nearly the entire Idlib pocket, after defeating the Turkish-backed National Front for Liberation. Following their victory, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham would immediately violate the ceasefire treaty brokered by Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
and Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
by placing combat units in the demilitarized zone along the Idlib-Syrian Government border, and attack SAA encampments near the area. In response to these attacks, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad increased the number of troops garrisoned near Idlib, which some have argued is an impending renewed offensive in the region, following the Northwestern Syria Campaign, where pro-government forces retook the formerly rebel-controlled Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase
Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase (sometimes spelled Abu ad-Duhur) is a major airbase of the Syrian Arab Air Force. The airbase is located about 5 km east of Abu al-Duhur, in Idlib Governorate.
Syrian Civil War
During the Syrian Civil War, rebel gr ...
that was captured by the FSA and Army of Conquest in 2015. In 2019, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Defense Michael Mulroy stated that “Idlib is essentially the largest collection of al Qaeda affiliates in the world.”
On July 10-11, 57 pro-government fighters were killed when Tahrir al-Sham militants attacked Syrian positions near the fortified village of Hamamiyat. 44 militants were also killed.
2020–2022
On 1 March 2021 it was reported that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham intensified its campaign against an al-Qaeda affiliate in Idlib.
As of 2 January 2022, the group was reportedly "trying to convince Syrians and the world that it is no longer as radical and repressive as it once was", voicing rhetoric about combating extremism, and shifting its focus to providing services to the refugees and residents of Idlib province through the Salvation Government.
In 2022, HTS took a significant amount of territory and several key settlements during the October 2022 Aleppo clashes.
Ideology and governance
Abu Jaber, one of Tahrir al-Sham's leaders, has Salafist jihadist beliefs. This has resulted in him being arrested several times by the Syrian government
Government of the Syrian Arab Republic is the union government created by the constitution of Syria where by the president is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Syr ...
. He was imprisoned at the Sednaya Prison in 2005 and released among several jihadist prisoners in 2011 who would form several Salafist rebel groups during the Syrian Civil War.[ Abu Jaber has also professed a belief in "Popular Jihad", a bottom-to-top approach in which jihadists would win the hearts and minds of the people, before setting out to establish jihadi governance, after receiving enough popular support, which is notably the opposite of ISIL's "elite Jihad" top-to-bottom approach.]
In 2017, some analysts argued that the group continued to maintain many of al-Nusra Front
Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
's al-Qaeda ideologies. The Combating Terrorism Center
The Combating Terrorism Center is an academic institution at the United States Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, New York that provides education, research and policy analysis in the specialty areas of terrorism, counterterrorism, homelan ...
also reported that despite public statements by some of Tahrir al-Sham's top figures, the group was still largely the same al-Qaeda-aligned group it was back when it was known as al-Nusra.
On 18 June 2019, HTS released a statement offering condolences to Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
's former President Muhammad Morsi
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monoth ...
upon his death.
Public opinion
The ECHO Research Centre at Laurentian University
Laurentian University (french: Université Laurentienne), officially the Laurentian University of Sudbury, is a mid-sized Bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, incorporated on March 28, 1960. Lau ...
conducted an opinion poll
An opinion poll, often simply referred to as a survey or a poll (although strictly a poll is an actual election) is a human research survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions ...
on 4,858 residents in several areas of Syria between 10 July 2017 and 28 July 2017. According to the poll's results, 77% of those surveyed disagreed with the Salafist ideology Tahrir al-Sham and other Salafist groups promote in Idlib, 73% rejected HTS-affiliated local councils in Idlib, 66% agreed that HTS is part of al-Qaeda in Syria, and 63% claimed that the dominance of HTS in Idlib will lead to a "second Tora Bora
Tora Bora ( ps, توره بوړه, "Black Cave") is a cave complex, part of the Spin Ghar (White Mountains) mountain range of eastern Afghanistan. It is situated in the Pachir Aw Agam District of Nangarhar, approximately west of the Khyber ...
". Of those who participated in the poll, nearly all of them (close to 100%) considered HTS to be contrary to the goals of the Syrian opposition
The Syrian opposition ( ar, المعارضة السورية ', ) is the political structure represented by the Syrian National Coalition and associated Syrian anti-Assad groups with certain territorial control as an alternative Syrian gover ...
, although they were split in its extent. 51% of them considered HTS to be contrary to the opposition since its inception, 42% considered HTS to be previously consistent with the opposition, but is no longer so, and 7% considered HTS to be a counter-revolutionary
A counter-revolutionary or an anti-revolutionary is anyone who opposes or resists a revolution, particularly one who acts after a revolution in order to try to overturn it or reverse its course, in full or in part. The adjective "counter-revoluti ...
organization.
Structure
Member groups
The groups in ''italic'' are defectors from Ahrar al-Sham
Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya ( ar-at, حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية, Ḥarakat Aḥrāru š-Šām al-Islāmiyah, lit=Islamic Movement of the Freemen of the Levant), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, is a coalition ...
which either left to join Jabhat Fateh al-Sham
Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
in the last few days of its existence, or joined its successor group Tahrir al-Sham.
* Jabhat Fateh al-Sham
Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
** Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar
)Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar()
, war = the Syrian Civil War
, image =
, caption = Flag of Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar
, active = Summer 2012 – present
, ideology = Salafi jihadism, Islamic ...
*** Green Battalion
The Green Battalion ( ar, الكتيبة الخضراء, ''al-Katiba al-Khadra'') was a jihadist group that was active during the Syrian Civil War. Formed in 2013 by a group of Saudi veterans of the Iraq War and Afghanistan war, the group fough ...
*** Syrian Islamic Jihad Union
The Islamic Jihad Union (IJU; ) is a militant Islamist organization founded in 2002 as a splinter group of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). Headquartered in North Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afgha ...
(ex-Ansar Jihad)
** Khorasan group
The Khorasan group, sometimes known simply as Khorasan, is an alleged group of senior al-Qaeda members operating in Syria. The group is reported to consist of a small number of fighters who are all on terrorist watchlists, and coordinates with ...
** Suqour al-Ezz
Suqour al-Ezz ( ar, كتيبة صقور العز), also spelled ''Suqour al-Izz'', was a group composed of primarily Saudi jihadists that have been active during the Syrian Civil War.
Founded in February 2013, due to personal disputes with the I ...
** Imam Bukhari Jamaat
The Imam Bukhari Jamaat ( uz, Imom Buxoriy Katibasi, also Katibat Imam al Bukhari) is an Islamist Salafi group fighting in the Syrian Civil War and the War in Afghanistan, composed of primarily Uzbeks, and expressing loyalty to the Taliban movem ...
** Tawhid and Jihad Battalion ("Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad")
** Army of Muhammad
** Jamaat al-Murabitin
** Bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (10 March 1957 – 2 May 2011) was a Saudi-born extremist militant who founded al-Qaeda and served as its leader from 1988 until his death in 2011. Ideologically a pan-Islamist, his group is designated a ...
Front
** ''Al-Bara''
** ''Dhu Nurayn''
** ''Al-Sawa'iq''
** ''Army of the Levant''
** Supporters of Jihad
**al-Ikhlas Brigade
**Mutah Brigade
**Ibn al-Qayyim Brigade
**al-Qaqa Islamic Brigade
* Ansar al-Din Front
Jabhat Ansar al-Din ( ar, جبهة أنصار الدين, ''The Supporters of the Religion Front'') is a jihadist alliance that announced itself on 25 July 2014, during the Syrian Civil War. The alliance contains two groups: Harakat Sham al-Isla ...
* Liwa al-Haqq
* Jaysh al-Sunna
Jaysh al-Sunna ( ar, جيش السنة) was a Homs-based Islamist rebel group that was established as a merger between different rebel groups, some of which originally came from the Free Syrian Army's Farouq Brigades, and is active during the Sy ...
(Idlib and Aleppo)
* ''Ashida'a Mujahideen Brigade''
* Rashid Battalions
* Battalions of Companions
* ''Qawafil Shuhada''
* ''Abbas Brigade''
* ''Free Men of the Central Mountain''
* ''Saraya al-Aqsa''
* ''Katibat Aswed al-Harb''
* Lions of Rahman Battalion
* Jamaat Fursan al-Sunna
* Al-Sa'b al-Abiya tribal militias
* ''Tamkin Brigade''
* ''Ahmad Asfan Battalions''
* ''Taliban Battalion''
* ''Mohamad al-'Asfourah Battalion''
* ''Asaad al-Khilafah''
* ''Abu Islam's Armored Brigade''
* ''Al-Khattab Battalions''
* ''Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (), or pronounced Huthaifah or Huzaifah (died in 656), was one of the Sahabah (companion) of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.
Early years in Medina
At Medina, Hudhayfah became a trusted and great companion of Muhammad, part ...
Battalions''
* Knights of the Levant Battalion
* ''Riya al-Jannah Battalion''
* ''Lions of Hamza Battalion''
* Al-Qadisiyah Brigade
* Jihad in the Path of God Battalion
* Kurdish Janah
* Haryatan Mujahideen Battalions
* ''Four artillery and rocket brigades''
* Company of Victory Brigade
* ''Mountain Lions Battalion''
* ''Knights of the Caliphate Battalion''
* ''Martyrs of Islam Front''
* ''Tawhid Battalion''
* ''Martyr Ibrahim Qabbani Battalion''
* ''Katibat Bayt al-Maqdis''
* '' Ansar al-Sham''
* Abu Mohammed al-Hamawi Battalions
* Al-Oqab
* Jabhat as-Sadiqin
* Katibat al-Shahid Abu Usid.
* Katibat Ashbal al-Sunnah
* Kata'ib al-Sayf al-Umri
* Jabhat al-Sadiqin
* Liwa Ahl al-Sham
* Lightning Battalion
* Supporters of Justice Brigade
* ''Katibat al-Siddiq''
* Abu Talhah al-Ansari Battalion
* 1st Regiment (Idlib)
* ''Martyr Omar Djaluk Battalion''
* Mufid A'awar Battalion
* Former Ahrar al-Sham ''Manufacturing Administration'' members
* Banner of Islam Battalion
* Special Forces Brigade
** Inghimasi unit
* Movement of Mujahideen of the Sunnis of Iran
* Jaysh al-Sham
* Abu Amara Battalions (main unit)
* ''Qassem Battalion''
* ''Lions of Tawhid Battalion''
* ''Martyr Khalid Zaarour Battalion''
* ''Desert Regiment''
* Sham al-Salayn
* ''Dawn of Islam Brigade''
* ''Farouq Company''
* ''al-Hijra Brigade''
* ''Victory of Islam''
* ''Ahrar Mariyaan''
* ''Sunni Islam Brigade''
* ''Ghuraba al-Sham'' (not to be confused with Ghuraba al-Sham
Ghuraba al-Sham ( ar, غرباء الشام ''Ghurabā' ash-Shām'', "Strangers/Foreigners of the region of Syria") was a group of jihadists of Turkish and former Eastern bloc origin who smuggled foreign fighters to Iraq, intervened in Lebanon d ...
, Jabhat Ghuraba al-Sham
The Ghuraba al-Sham Front ( ar, جبهة غرباء الشام ''Jabhat Ghurabā' ash-Shām'', "Strangers/Foreigners of the Levant") was a group of fighters, active during the Syrian civil war, in favor of a secular state. The group formerly ha ...
or Katibat al-Ghuraba)
* ''Urim al-Jaws''
* ''Central Forces''
* ''al-Hasakah group''
* ''Katibat Khateeb''
* ''Sariya Saeed Brigade'' (disputed)
* ''Conquest Brigade'' (Kafr Nabl
Kafr Nabl ( ar, كَفْرنَبِل, Kafr Nabil, also spelled Kafranbel or Kafr Nabil) is a town administratively belonging to the Idlib Governorate and Ma'arrat al-Numan District in northwestern Syria. It is situated above sea level. In the 2 ...
group)
* ''Lions of Islam Brigade''
* ''Lions of Banu Umayya
Umayyad dynasty ( ar, بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ, Banū Umayya, Sons of Umayya) or Umayyads ( ar, الأمويون, al-Umawiyyūn) were the ruling family of the Caliphate between 661 and 750 and later of Al-Andalus between 756 and 1031. In the ...
''
* ''Ahrar al-Sham unit in Darat Izza
Darat Izza ( ar, دارة عزة, also spelled Darat Aza or Darit Izza) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Aleppo Governorate, located northwest of Aleppo. Nearby localities include Deir Samaan to the north, Anadan to t ...
''
* ''Ahrar al-Sham unit in Turmanin''
* ''Abu Darda
Abū Dardāʾ al-Anṣārī ( ar, أبو الدرداء الأنصاري, d. 32 AH/652 CE) was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was the husband of fellow companion Umm al-Darda al-Kubra.
Biography
Abu Darda was a trader in Me ...
Islamic Union Brigade''
* ''al-Ukhwat Brigade''
* ''Hani al-Nasr Brigade''
* Ajnad al-Sham (left in June 2017 to join Ahrar al-Sham
Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya ( ar-at, حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية, Ḥarakat Aḥrāru š-Šām al-Islāmiyah, lit=Islamic Movement of the Freemen of the Levant), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, is a coalition ...
, rejoined HTS in November 2017)
* Jaysh Usrah
* Imarat Kavkaz
* Soldiers of the Epics
*Mountain Army
*Qatih Badiya
*Jamaat Bayt al-Maqdis al-Islamiya
* Army of Umar Ibn Khattab
** Army of Aleppo
** Army of Eastern Ghouta
* Army of Abu Bakr as-Sadiq
** Army of Idlib
** Army of Al-Badia
** Army of Hama
*** ''Abdullah Azzam
Abdullah Yusuf Azzam ( ar, عبد الله يوسف عزام, translit=‘Abdu’llāh Yūsuf ‘Azzām; ) was a Salafi jihadist, a Palestinian scholar, and theologian of Sunni Islam. During the Soviet–Afghan War of the 1980s, he advocated "de ...
Brigade''
*** ''al-Imam Brigade'' (disputed)
*** ''Usud al-Harb Brigade''
*** ''Ahl al-Bayt Brigade''
*** ''al-Majd Brigade''
*** Lions of Islam Brigade Artillery and Infantry Battalion ( Junud al-Sham remnants)
* Army of Uthman Ibn Affan
** Army of Al-Sham
** Army of Al-Hudud
** Army of Al-Sahi
*Levant Revolutionaries Battalion
** al-Quds Brigades
** Glory of Islam Brigade
** al-Noor Islamic Movement
*Banners of Islam Movement
*Al-Tawhid Brigade in Kafarouma village
*Army of Al-Ghab Plain
The Ghab Plain ( ar, سَهْلُ ٱلْغَابِ, Sahl al-Ġāb, literally: Forest Plain) is a fertile depression lying mainly in the Al-Suqaylabiyah District in northwest Syria. The Orontes River, flowing north, enters the Plain near Muhradah, ...
*Army of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq
*Mountain Army
*Army of Omar bin al-Khattab
*Army of Othman bin Affan
*Army of Ali bin Abi Talib
*Aleppo City Battalion
Leadership
Since October 2017, the "general commander" or emir of Tahrir al-Sham is Abu Mohammad al-Julani
Ahmed Hussein al-Shar’a ( ar, أحمد حسين الشرع, ʾAḥmad Ḥusayn aš-Šarʿ), known by the ''nom de guerre'' Abu Mohammad al-Julani ( ar, أبو محمد الجولاني, ʾAbū Muḥammad al-Jawlānī), is the commander-in-chie ...
, who is also Tahrir al-Sham's "military commander"
and the emir of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham
Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
, who also led its predecessor organisation al-Nusra Front
Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
.
Previously, the general commander of Tahrir al-Sham was Hashim al-Shaykh, also known as Abu Jaber, who was the leader of Ahrar al-Sham
Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya ( ar-at, حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية, Ḥarakat Aḥrāru š-Šām al-Islāmiyah, lit=Islamic Movement of the Freemen of the Levant), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, is a coalition ...
between September 2014 and September 2015. On 1 October 2017, Abu Jaber resigned from his position as the general leader of Tahrir al-Sham and was replaced by Abu Mohammad al-Julan. Abu Jaber took another position as the head of HTS's Shura council.[
Individuals in ''italic'' are defectors from ]Ahrar al-Sham
Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya ( ar-at, حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية, Ḥarakat Aḥrāru š-Šām al-Islāmiyah, lit=Islamic Movement of the Freemen of the Levant), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, is a coalition ...
, which either left to join Jabhat Fateh al-Sham
Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
in the last few days of its existence, or directly joined Tahrir al-Sham.
* ''Abu Jaber
Hashim al-Shaykh ( ar, هاشم الشيخ), also known by his '' nom de guerre'' Abu Jaber Shaykh ( ar, أبو جابر الشيخ) is a rebel commander during the Syrian Civil War who is a senior leader of Tahrir al-Sham. He had reportedly re ...
'' (emir, until October 2017)
* Abu Mohammad al-Julani
Ahmed Hussein al-Shar’a ( ar, أحمد حسين الشرع, ʾAḥmad Ḥusayn aš-Šarʿ), known by the ''nom de guerre'' Abu Mohammad al-Julani ( ar, أبو محمد الجولاني, ʾAbū Muḥammad al-Jawlānī), is the commander-in-chie ...
(overall military commander, later emir)
* Abu Khayr al-Masri (senior leader)
* ''Abu Salih Tahan'' (military commander)
* ''Abu Ashida'a'' (military commander)
* ''Abu Ismael'' (military commander)
* ''Abu Musab Tunsi'' (military commander)
* ''Abu Islam'' (military commander)
* Abu Malik al-Shaami (military commander)
* ''Major Abu Hashem'' (military commander)
* ''Abu Yaqub'' (military commander)
* ''al-Hajj Baha' al-Sharm'' (military commander)
* ''Osama al-Homsi'' (military commander)
* ''Rachid Baradedi'' (military commander)
* ''Abu Badr al-Hijazi'' (military commander)
* Abu Hafs Manbij (judge)
* ''Abu Al-Battar Al-Jazrawi'' (judge)
* ''Abu Bara Al-Qahtani'' (media official)
* ''Abu al-Yazid Taftanz'' (media official)
* ''Abu Abdel Ghani al-Hamawi'' (administrator)
* Abu Mohammad al-Shari
* ''Abu al-Yaqzan al-Masri'' (sheikh)
* ''Abu al-Harith al-Masri'' (sheikh)
* ''Musleh Aliani'' (sheikh)
* ''Abu at-Tahr al-Hamwi'' (sheikh)
* ''Abu al-Fatah al-Farghli'' (sheikh)
* ''Abu Yusuf al-Hamwi'' (sheikh)
* ''Abu Mohammad al-Sadeq'' (sheikh)
* ''Suraqa al-Makki'' (sheikh)
* ''Abu Yahya al-Shami'' (sheikh)
* ''Iyad Mahmud'' (sheikh)
* ''Hamza Abu Husayn'' (sheikh)
* ''Abu al-Waleed al-Hannafi'' (sheikh)
* ''Abu Muhammad Nu'maani'' (sheikh)
* ''Abu Talha Shaib'' (sheikh)
* ''Abu Taher al-Hamawi'' (sheikh)
Former groups
* Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement
The Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement ( ar, حركة نور الدين الزنكي ''Ḥaraka Nūr ad-Dīn az-Zankī'') was a Sunni Islamist rebel group involved in the Syrian Civil War. In 2014, it was reportedly one of the most influential factio ...
* Supporters of the East Regiment (joined Ahrar al-Sham)
* Ibn Taymiyyah
Ibn Taymiyyah (January 22, 1263 – September 26, 1328; ar, ابن تيمية), birth name Taqī ad-Dīn ʾAḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm ibn ʿAbd al-Salām al-Numayrī al-Ḥarrānī ( ar, تقي الدين أحمد بن عبد الحليم ...
Battalions (joined Ahrar al-Sham)[
* ''Tahrir al-Sham'' elements in Northern Aleppo City outskirts (joined Ahrar al-Sham)
* ]Khalid ibn al-Walid
Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi (; died 642) was a 7th-century Arab military commander. He initially headed campaigns against Muhammad on behalf of the Quraysh. He later became a Muslim and spent the remainder of his career in ...
Battalion (joined Ahrar al-Sham)
* Farouq Army (remnants of the Farouq Brigades
The Farouq Brigades ( ar, كتائب الفاروق), also spelt Farooq and Farook, was an armed rebel organisation formed by a number of Homs based members of the Free Syrian Army early in the Syrian Civil War. The group rapidly expanded in siz ...
in northern Hama
, timezone = EET
, utc_offset = +2
, timezone_DST = EEST
, utc_offset_DST = +3
, postal_code_type =
, postal_code =
, ar ...
), later joined Jaysh al-Nasr
* Lions of Sunna Battalion
* Jaysh al-Ahrar
* Victory of Saladin Brigade
* Katibat al-Siddiq
* Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya (became ''Ansar al-Din Front - Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya'')
** al-Murabitin Battalion
** Osama Battalion
** Abu Ali Yemeni Battalion
** Abu Hilal Zitan Battalion
* Former HTS groups that went to join the Syrian Liberation Front
Jabhat Tahrir Suriya
, native_name_lang =
, war = the Syrian Civil War
, image = File:Logo of the Syrian Liberation Front.png
, caption = The logo of the Syrian Liberation Front
, active = 18 Febru ...
**Katibat al-'Iqaab
**Sheikh Fadel al-Akel
**Katibat al-Bayia Lillah
**Katibat Usud al-Tawheed
**Liwa al-Adiyat
**Martyr Abu Omar Battalion
* Former HTS groups that went to join the Guardians of Religion Organization
Tanẓīm Ḥurrās ad-Dīn
, native_name_lang = ar
, war = the Syrian Civil War and the Iraqi insurgency (2017–present)
, image =
, caption =
, active = 27 February 2018–present
, ideology ...
**Jaysh al-Badia
**Jaysh al-Malahim
**Jaysh al-Sahil
**Saraya al-Sahil
**Jund al-Sharia
**Siriyatan Kabil
Former leaders
* Abdulrazzaq al-Mahdi (sheikh)
* Tawfiq Shahabuddin (sheikh of the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement
The Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement ( ar, حركة نور الدين الزنكي ''Ḥaraka Nūr ad-Dīn az-Zankī'') was a Sunni Islamist rebel group involved in the Syrian Civil War. In 2014, it was reportedly one of the most influential factio ...
, which left HTS in July 2017)[
* ]Abdullah al-Muhaysini
, english: Abdullah Mohammed al-Shammari
, title =
, period =
, predecessor =
, successor =
, ordination =
, post =
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Buraida ...
(sheikh, left in September 2017)
* Abu Kamal (Tamkin Brigade Commander, rejoined Ahrar al-Sham)
Political relations
Al-Qaeda
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri (June 19, 1951 – July 31, 2022) was an Egyptian-born terrorist and physician who served as the second emir of al-Qaeda from June 16, 2011, until his death.
Al-Zawahiri graduated from Cairo University with ...
has opposed the split of HTS from Al-Qaeda, stating that it was done without his consent. Several Al-Qaeda circles and supporters have also condemned Joulani and compared him to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ( ar, أبو بكر البغدادي, ʾAbū Bakr al-Baḡdādī; born Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Ali Muhammad al-Badri al-Samarrai ( ar, إبراهيم عواد إبراهيم علي محمد البدري السامرائي, ʾIb ...
because of the group's conflicts
Conflict may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Films
* ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton
* ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne
* ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...
with other rebel groups, and have described him as an 'opportunist' as well as making claims that he is an agent of foreign powers. On 1 March 2021, it was reported that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham intensified its campaign against al-Qaeda affiliate in Idlib.[
Tahrir al-Sham has been accused of working as ]al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
's Syrian branch on a covert level, and is considered by certain analysts to be one of its branches, and that many of the group's senior figures, particularly Abu Jaber, held similarly extreme views. However, Tahrir al-Sham has officially denied being part of al-Qaeda and said in a statement that the group is "an independent entity and not an extension of previous organizations or factions".[
]
Ahrar al-Sham
According to Abdul Razzaq al-Mahdi
Abdul Razzaq al-Mahdi ( ar, عبد الزراق المهدي), is a Syrian Islamist cleric who is actively involved fighting in the Syrian Civil War against the Syrian government. He originates from Damascus's Al-Salihiyah district and was b ...
, who was a leading scholar in Tahrir al-Sham, the groups do not particularly hate one another in the political or social battlefield. Certain members, however, do believe that a war between the two would be possible, since Ahrar al-Sham's attendance at the Astana talks labels it as a "moderate" faction, often seen as blasphemy within groups such as Tahrir al-Sham.
In February 2018 Ahrar al-Sham
Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya ( ar-at, حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية, Ḥarakat Aḥrāru š-Šām al-Islāmiyah, lit=Islamic Movement of the Freemen of the Levant), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, is a coalition ...
and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement
The Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement ( ar, حركة نور الدين الزنكي ''Ḥaraka Nūr ad-Dīn az-Zankī'') was a Sunni Islamist rebel group involved in the Syrian Civil War. In 2014, it was reportedly one of the most influential factio ...
merged and formed the Syrian Liberation Front
Jabhat Tahrir Suriya
, native_name_lang =
, war = the Syrian Civil War
, image = File:Logo of the Syrian Liberation Front.png
, caption = The logo of the Syrian Liberation Front
, active = 18 Febru ...
then launched an offensive
Offensive may refer to:
* Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative
* Offensive (military), an attack
* Offensive language
** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
against Tahrir al-Sham seizing several villages and the city of Maarrat al-Nu'man
, timezone = EET
, utc_offset = +3
, timezone_DST = EEST
, utc_offset_DST = +2
, blank_name = Climate
, blank_info = BSk
, coordinates=
, e ...
.
Designation as a terrorist organization
The US embassy in Syria confirmed in May 2017 that HTS had been designated a terrorist organization in March 2017. The United States Ambassador to Syria
The United States ambassador to Syria is the official representative of the president of the United States to the president of Syria.
From the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire in 1922 until 1944, had been under the control of France as
a par ...
stated that "HTS is a merger and any group that merges into it becomes part of al-Qaeda's Syrian network." and "the core of HTS is Nusra, a designated terrorist organization. This designation applies regardless of what name it uses or what groups merge into it."
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
designated Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist organization on 23 May 2018.
In August 2018, Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
designated Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist organization.
Foreign support
Qatar and Saudi Arabia accused of support
Iran's government has in 2017 accused Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
of supporting Tahrir al-Sham.[Confrontation between Turkey, Saudi Arabia Root Cause of Tensions among Terrorist Groups in Syria]
". ''Fars News Agency
The Fars News Agency is a news agency in Iran managed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an armed wing loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. While it describes itself as "Iran's leading independent news agency", it is widely descr ...
''. 9 February 2017.
Speculated alliance with Turkey
In 2018, Turkey designated Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist organization and the Al-Nusra Front in 2014. The Turkish government once said it was opposed to Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and had fought with it and declared it a terrorist organisation, and HTS's Syrian Salvation Government
The Syrian Salvation Government () is a de facto alternative government of the Syrian opposition in Idlib Governorate, formed in early November 2017. There followed weeks of conflict between the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) and the Syrian In ...
was a direct challenge to the Turkish-backed Syrian Interim Government
The Syrian Interim Government ''(SIG)'' is an alternative government in Syria, formed by the umbrella opposition group, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces. The interim government indirectly controls some areas ...
.[
However, since 2017 there have been times HTS, and in particular its pragmatic faction around Abu Muhammed al-Jolani, has fought alongside the SNA which is backed and funded by Turkey, has not stopped Turkey from setting up several observation posts in its controlled territory in ]Idlib Governorate
Idlib Governorate ( ar, مُحافظة ادلب / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat Idlib'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay province to the north, Aleppo Governorate to the east, Hama ...
, and has joined joint operations rooms with Turkish-backed groups while preserving its autonomy. The Clingendael Institute
The Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael ( nl, Nederlands Instituut voor Internationale Betrekkingen Clingendael) or Clingendael Institute (''Instituut Clingendael'') is a Dutch think tank and academy on international relat ...
in November 2019 has described the Turkish policy since 2018 as attempting to divide the pragmatic elements from the dogmatic terrorist elements within HTS.
See also
* Army of Conquest
* Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War
* List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War
A number of states and armed groups have involved themselves in the ongoing Syrian Civil War as belligerents.
Syrian Arab Republic and allies
A number of sources have emphasized that as of at least late-2015/early-2016 the Syrian Arab Republic ...
* List of terrorist incidents in Syria
This is a timeline of incidents in Syria that have been labelled as terrorism and are not believed to have been carried out by a government or its forces (see state terrorism and state-sponsored terrorism).
2011
* 2011 Damascus bombings - On 23 ...
* National Front for Liberation–Tahrir al-Sham conflict
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
* Northwestern Syria offensive (April–June 2015)
The Northwestern Syria offensive (April–June 2015), dubbed by the rebels as the Battle of Victory, took place in the Idlib Governorate, Idlib and Hama Governorate, Hama governorates during the Syrian Civil War.
The campaign consisted of a thr ...
* Second Battle of Idlib
The Battle of Idlib ("Operation to Free Idlib") was a military operation in the Idlib Governorate, during the Syrian Civil War, conducted by rebels against Syrian government forces defending Idlib city.
The battle
On 24 March 2015, the newly ...
References
{{Syrian Civil War
Anti-government factions of the Syrian civil war
2017 establishments in Asia
2017 establishments in Syria
Anti-Shi'ism
Islam-related controversies
Islamic terrorism in Syria
Paramilitary organizations based in Syria
Rebel groups that actively control territory
Salafi Islamism
Salafi Islamist groups
Anti-ISIL factions in Syria
Islamic terrorism
Idlib
Organizations designated as terrorist by Turkey
Organizations based in Asia designated as terrorist
Organizations designated as terrorist by Canada
Organizations designated as terrorist by the United States
Organisations designated as terrorist by Australia