Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham

Syrian Islamist military and political organisation Not to be confused with Sham Liberation Army . Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham ( HTS ) was a Sunni Islamist political organisation and paramilitary group involved in the Syrian civil war . It was formed on 28 January 2017 as a merger of several armed groups: Jaysh al-Ahrar (an Ahrar al-Sham faction), Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS), Ansar al-Din Front , Jaysh al-Sunna , Liwa al-Haqq and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement . The unification process was held under the initiative of Abu Jaber Sheikh , an Islamist militant commander who had been the second emir of Ahrar al-Sham . HTS, along with other Syrian opposition groups, launched an offensive that led to the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024. Proclaiming the nascent organisation as "a new stage in the life of the blessed revolution", Abu Jaber urged all factions of the Syrian opposition to unite under its Islamic leadership and wage a "popular jihad " to achieve the objectives of the Syrian revolution , which he characterised as the ouster of the Ba'athist regime and Hezbollah militants from Syrian territories , and the formation of an Islamic government . After the announcement, additional groups and individuals joined. The merged group has been primarily led by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and former Ahrar al-Sham leaders, although the High Command also has representation from other groups. The Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement split from Tahrir al-Sham in July 2017, and the Ansar al-Din Front in 2018. The formation of HTS was followed by a string of assassinations of its supporters. In response, HTS launched a successful crackdown on Al-Qaeda loyalists, which cemented its power in Idlib . HTS then pursued a "Syrianisation" programme, focused on establishing a stable civilian administration that provides services and connects to humanitarian organizations in addition to maintaining law and order. Tahrir al-Sham's strategy was based on expanding its territorial control in Syria, establishing governance and mobilising popular support. In 2017, HTS permitted Turkish troops to patrol North-West Syria as part of a ceasefire brokered through the Astana negotiations . Its policies brought it into conflict with Hurras al-Deen , Al-Qaeda's Syrian wing, including militarily . HTS had an estimated 6,000–15,000 members in 2022. From 2017 to 2024, HTS gave allegiance to the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG), which was an alternative government of the Syrian opposition in the Idlib Governorate . While the organisation officially adhered to the Salafi school, the High Council of Fatwa of the Syrian Salvation Government – to which it is religiously beholden – consisted of ulema from Ash'arite and Sufi traditions as well. In its legal system and educational curriculum, HTS implemented Shafi'ite thought and taught the importance of the four classical Sunni madhahib (schools of law) in Islamic jurisprudence . From 2021 to 2024, HTS was the most powerful military faction within the Syrian opposition . Τhe organisation was designated a terrorist group by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254 , which classified the group's precursor, Al-Nusra Front . After the fall of Damascus in December 2024, the SSG was replaced by the Syrian transitional government . On 29 January 2025, at the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference held in Damascus, Hassan Abdel Ghani , spokesperson for the Military Operations Command , announced the dissolution of HTS and several armed factions and declared that they would become part of "state institutions". "Documenting life amidst the Syrian war: Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham's performance of statehood through identity documents" . The Case of HTS, the Former AQ Franchise in Syria . Foundation for Strategic Research . Jurists who support the Salafist cause and personalities from civil society constitute a minority. The Case of HTS, the Former AQ Franchise in Syria . The Age of Political Jihadism: A Study of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham . HTS's domination was followed by a policy of gradual opening and mainstreamisation. The group has had to open up to local communities and make concessions, especially in the religious sphere. HTS is seeking international acceptance with the development of a strategic partnership with Turkey and desires to open dialogue with Western countries. Overall, HTS has transformed from formerly being a salafi jihadi organisation into having a new mainstream approach to political Islam. In Fraihat, Alijla; Ibrahim, Abdalhadi (eds.). Rebel Governance in the Middle East . Over the decade of Syria's conflict, HTS has morphed from an al-Qa'ida affiliated transnational jihadist group that was one of many opposition units to a locally rooted, conservative Islamist movement that is the de facto state power in one corner of the country. "Documenting life amidst the Syrian war: Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham's performance of statehood through identity documents" . The issuance and distribution of legal identity documen-tation is central to the group's efforts to organise and regulate Idlib and surrounding areas. ... It also exemplifies the group's shift from transnational jihad to a conservative, locally rooted Islamist nationalist defacto government. This is the fate of its former leader" . "Taliban Appeal to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham for Presence in Syria" . 8AM Media . Rebel Governance in the Middle East . HTS's most important foreign relationship at present is with Ankara. HTS has a close relationship with its northern neighbour, allowing Turkish soldiers' presence in Idlib to uphold an unstable stalemate with Assad's forces. Ahrar al-Sham (and later HTS) established close relations with Turkey. ... In Syria, Turkey managed to establish close relations first with Ahrar al-Sham and subsequently with HTS. HTS declared that only it or al-Fatah al-Mubin, which it leads together with Turkish-backed factions (though it is the dominant force), could conduct military operations in Idlib. "Ukrainian intelligence coordinating with Syrian rebels against 'mutual enemy', says opposition figure" . The Case of HTS, the Former AQ Franchise in Syria . The Age of Political Jihadism: A Study of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham . "تحرير الشام" تدُكّ مواقع النظام شمال حمص.. وتُكبِّده خسائر (صور) [Tahrir al-Sham bombs regime positions north of Homs, inflicting heavy losses (photos)]. HTS's domination was followed by a policy of gradual opening and mainstreamisation. The group has had to open up to local communities and make concessions, especially in the religious sphere. HTS is seeking international acceptance with the development of a strategic partnership with Turkey and desires to open dialogue with Western countries. Overall, HTS has transformed from formerly being a salafi jihadi organisation into having a new mainstream approach to political Islam. The Age of Political Jihadism: A Study of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham . The Case of HTS, the Former AQ Franchise in Syria . South China Morning Post . 16 December 2024 . 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