Tahrir al-Sham
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS; Arabic: هيئة تحرير الشام, romanized: Hayʼat Taḥrīr aš-Šām[46], lit. ''Organization for the Liberation of the Levant' or 'Levant Liberation Committee''),[43] commonly referred to as Tahrir al-Sham, is a Sunni Islamist[47][48] political and armed organisation involved in the Syrian Civil War. It was formed on 28 January 2017 as a merger between Jaysh al-Ahrar (an Ahrar al-Sham faction), Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS), Ansar al-Din Front, Jaysh al-Sunna, Liwa al-Haqq, and Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement.[3][49] The unification process was held under the initiative of Abu Jaber Shaykh, an Islamist commander who had been the second Emir of Ahrar al-Sham.[3]
Not to be confused with Sham Liberation Army.
Hayʼat Tahrir ash-Sham
(Organization for the Liberation of the Levant)
- Abu Mohammad al-Julani (military chief, official leader since October 2017)[1][2]
- Abu Jaber Shaykh (Shura council leader, official leader until October 2017)[3][2]
- Abu Ubeidah al-Kansafra †
(top military commander)[4]
28 January 2017 – present
Jabhat Fateh al-Sham- Jaysh al-Ahrar
Jaysh al-Sunna- Liwa al-Haqq,
- Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement[5] (January–July 2017)
Ansar al-Din Front (until 2018)
Syria
Lebanon (until August 2017)
- Sunni Islamism
- Sunni interests[9]
- Salafism[10]
- Syrian nationalism[11]
- Syrian opposition
- Salafi jihadism (historical)[11]
Active
Non-state allies:
National Front for Liberation (sometimes)
Ansar al-Islam (splinter faction)
Soldiers of the Caucasus
Syrian Muslim Brotherhood[25][26]
Katiba Abd Ar-Rahman[27]
Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad[28]
Katibat Jabal al-Islam[29]
Turkistan Islamic Party
Junud al-Makhdi[30][31]- Malhama Tactical[32]
Katibat al-Ghuraba al-Turkistan[33]
Army of Glory
Ahrar al-Sham (sometimes)[34]
Aknaf Bait al-Maqdis (2018)
Syrian National Army (sometimes)[35]
State opponents
Non-state opponents
- Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada
- Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq
Liwa Zainebiyoun- Liwa Fatemiyoun
- Syrian National Army
- National Front for Liberation (sometimes)
- National Liberation Movement
- Ahrar al-Sham (sometimes)[34]
Hizb ut-Tahrir[40]
Hezbollah- Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas
Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba[41]
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Al-Qaeda (since 2020)
- Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian Civil War
- Siege of al-Fu'ah and Kafriya
- Daraa offensive (February–March 2017)
- ISIL Daraa offensive (February 2017)
- Qaboun offensive (February–March 2017)
- 2017 Hama offensive
- Daraa offensive (June 2017)
- Quneitra offensive (June 2017)
- Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon
- Military intervention against ISIL
- American-led intervention in Syria
- Russian military intervention in Syria
- East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict (April–May 2017)
- Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate
- Northwestern Syria campaign (October 2017–present)
- Eastern Syria insurgency (2017–present)
- Rif Dimashq offensive (February–April 2018)[44]
- Northern Homs offensive (April–May 2018)[45]
- 2018 Southern Syria offensive
- Idlib demilitarization (2018–2019)
- National Front for Liberation–Tahrir al-Sham conflict
- Northwestern Syria offensive (April-August 2019)
- Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
- Idlib Governorate clashes (June 2020)
- Idlib Governorate clashes (October 2021)
- 2022 Ahrar al-Sham–Levant Front clashes
- October 2022 northern Aleppo clashes
- Northwestern Syria clashes (December 2022–present)
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.[50] 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.[51] The Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement[5] split from Tahrir al-Sham in July 2017, and the Ansar al-Din Front in 2018.[52]
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 has since been pursuing a "Syrianization" programme; focused on establishing a stable civilian administration that provides services and connects to humanitarian organizations in addition to maintaining law and order.[49] Tahrir al-Sham's strategy is 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 have brought it into conflict with Hurras al-Deen, Al-Qaeda's Syrian wing.[53] HTS had an estimated 6,000-15,000 members in 2022.[16]
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham gives allegiance to the Syrian Salvation Government, which is an alternative government of the Syrian opposition in the Idlib Governorate.[54][55] While the organisation officially adheres to the Salafi school; the High Council of Fatwa of the Syrian Salvation Government - to which it is religiously beholden - consists of ulema from Ash'arite and Sufi traditions as well. In its legal system and educational curriculum, HTS implements Shafi'ite thought and teaches the importance of the four classical Sunni madhahib (schools of law) in Islamic jurisprudence.[56] As of 2021, HTS is considered the most powerful military faction within the Syrian opposition.[57]
Structure
Member groups
The groups in italic are defectors from Ahrar al-Sham which either left to join Jabhat Fateh al-Sham in the last few days of its existence, or joined its successor group Tahrir al-Sham.
Foreign support
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 was a direct challenge to the Turkish-backed Syrian Interim Government.[202]
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, and has joined joint operations rooms with Turkish-backed groups while preserving its autonomy. The Clingendael Institute in November 2019 has described the Turkish policy since 2018 as attempting to divide the pragmatic elements from the hardline elements within HTS.[202]