Ahmad Farhat

Translated and Edited by Al-Manar English Website

Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) has undergone extensive political and ideological transformations since its emergence as an affiliate of Al-Qaeda’s Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/ISIS) under Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.

In a speech given in 2013, Al-Baghdadi described HTS leader Abu Mohammad Al-Julani as only a soldier tasked with managing operations in Syria, and that he had provided weapons, planning, funding and manpower to the organization.

This relationship was also confirmed by ISIL spokesman Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani in 2013 in a speech, in which he said that “Jabhat Al-Nusra is nothing but a security cover for the presence of ISIL in Syria, and its emir is nothing but a soldier ISIL.”

Origin Story:

Formally announced in 2012, Jabhat Al-Nusra began its military activities in December 2011 with a double suicide bombing attack on Syria’s General Intelligence headquarters in Damascus. Rejecting democracy as contradictory to Islamic teachings, the group distinguished itself from political movements like the Muslim Brotherhood. Despite its ties to Al-Qaeda, Al-Julani sought local acceptance by downplaying its global “jihadist” ideology and focusing on Syrian dynamics.

Tensions soon arose with ISIL over territorial control and allegiance. By 2013, Jabhat Al-Nusra rejected ISIL’s declaration of a unified “Islamic State” with its center in Afghanistan, leading to fierce disputes. These conflicts, along with battles against other Syrian factions, marked the group’s history before its formal break from Al-Qaeda in 2016 and its rebranding as “Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham”.

So we ask; How did Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham evolve from being a branch of the global al-Qaeda network into a political entity, with its leader—once a soldier in al-Baghdadi’s regime—ascending to head Syria’s so-called “new political administration,” now acknowledged formally or tacitly by regional powers and Western nations?

Relationship with Other Factions

Before its rebranding, “Jabhat Al-Nusra” adopted a confrontational stance toward rival factions, launching attacks between 2014 and 2015 against the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in Aleppo and Idlib, dismantling key opposition forces like the FSA’s 13th Division. The group’s dominance grew as it seized weapons and bases from defeated factions.

Disputes with ISIL escalated when Al-Julani refused to integrate under Baghdadi’s leadership, opting instead to align with Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri. Despite Al-Zawahiri’s subsequent criticism of Al-Julani and his leadership, the group solidified its power through continued military offensives.

In 2017, following the Astana peace talks sponsored by Turkey, “Jabhat al-Nusra” clashed with factions aligned with the negotiations and declared its transition to their current name of “Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham”. It incorporated various groups, including Nour Al-Din Al-Zenki and Jaysh Al-Ahrar, though internal defections and rivalries persisted. Prominent figures, including defectors from Ahrar Al-Sham and leaders affiliated with Al-Qaeda, eventually established the “Guardians of Religion” (Horras Al-Din) as a rival faction.

By 2019, HTS had consolidated control over most of Idlib and Aleppo countryside, operating under the so-called “Salvation Government”. Despite previous opposition to the Syrian revolution’s symbols, HTS adopted a new flag merging revolutionary and Islamic elements, signaling a tactical shift in its political positioning.

Since its inception, Jabhat al-Nusra’s evolution into HTS has reflected significant shifts in alliances, objectives, and strategies, shaping its role in Syria’s complex political and military landscape.

Source: Al-Manar English Website