 "Explained: The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel group leading the new offensive in Syria")
It’s what everyone is calling a shock offensive; in the past week, Syrian rebel forces launched a large-scale attack on areas controlled by the government and by Saturday (November 30) had taken over Aleppo — the country’s second-largest city — and its airport.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Syria war monitor, has said that the recent fighting in the country has killed 412 people, including 61 civilians.
Thousands of fighters have now moved on to villages and towns in Hama, claiming to have entered there too.
This swift offensive by the rebels is a huge embarrassment for Syrian President Bashar Assad , who said that the country will continue to “defend its stability and territorial integrity against terrorists and their supporters.” He added that Syria is able to defeat them no matter how much their attacks intensify.
But who exactly are these “terrorists”? What is the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which has long been a part of the Syrian conflict? We explore and get you the answers.
What is the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham?
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, also known as HTS, roughly translates into the “Organisation for the Liberation of the Levant”. According to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, the HTS is an Islamist political and militant group mainly operating in Syria’s Greater Idleb area, which includes parts of Aleppo’s western countryside, the Lattakia mountains, and al-Ghab Plain in northwestern Hama.
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham found its origins in Jabhat al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, in 2011. Reports state that the leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was also involved in the formation of the HTS.
Under the leadership of Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, it became a capable organisation of its own, known for being effective and deadly in the fight against Syrian President Bashar Assad. It gathered revenue from territories under its control and earned infamy for carrying out insurgent attacks. Soon, it attracted a large number of fighters.
In 2016, Jawlani announced that his group was breaking ranks with Al-Qaeda and dissolved the Jabhat al-Nusra. The following year, Jawlani merged his group with similar like-minded groups such as Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zinki, Liwa al-Haq, Jaysh al-Sunna, and Jabhat Ansar al-Din to form Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
In 2018, the group was recognised by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO).
Who heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham?
The HTS is headed by Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, who was formerly an Al-Qaeda operative. It is reported that al-Jawlani born in Saudi Arabia joined Al Qaeda in 2003 to fight American forces in Iraq.
After reportedly spending time in US military prisons, he returned to Syria in 2011 and became a key figure in the Jabhat al-Nusra. After falling out with the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, he continued to lead the breakaway group, which he later named HTS.
His activities have earned him a $10 million bounty from the US government.
What are Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s goals in Syria?
Unlike Al-Qaeda or Islamic State, which wishes to establish an Islamic Caliphate across the world, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham dreams of establishing Islamic rule in Syria and expelling Iranian militia from the country.
Its primary objective, as per a CSIS report, is the establishment of Islamic rule in Syria via “toppling the criminal (Assad) regime and expelling the Iranian militias.
Moreover, gauging from al-Jawlani’s past statements such as “with this spirit… we will not only reach Damascus, but, Allah permitting, Jerusalem will be awaiting our arrival”, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham views Israel as an enemy.
According to the CSIS Transnational Threats Project’s report of 2018, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has a fighting force of 12,000 to 15,000 troops.
Which areas in Syria do HTS govern and how?
The HTS has a stronghold in Syria’s Idlib province, ruling it through the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG). It is through the SSG that HTS carries out welfare services, delivers essential goods and runs food aid programmes, earning the goodwill of the people in the area.
The HTS through SSG also, according to an ACLED report, has a monopoly on the economy through control of al-Sham Bank and the oil sector through Watad Company.
The HTS also controls the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey.
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is also known to engage in violence against civilians. Between 2020 and 2022, it has been reported that the HTS was responsible for the deaths of at least 54 civilians.
What do we know of HTS’ new offensive?
Last Wednesday (November 27) when Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Lebanon, the HTS began its counteroffensive in Syria, which resulted in pro-government forces losing control of Aleppo for the first time since the start of the country’s civil war.
The new offensive comes as fighters say they were responding to stepped up attacks from government forces and pro-Iranian militia groups.
The fighting has led to concerns with the United States, France, Germany and Britain calling for “de-escalation” in Syria, and for the protection of civilians and infrastructure. UN envoy Geir Pedersen said the “latest developments pose severe risks to civilians and have serious implications for regional and international peace and security”.
With inputs from agencies
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