ALEPPO, Syria — The Syrian government is closely watching how the military force of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is developing in Idlib governorate and is following up with concern on its supposed success in imposing its hegemony on Idlib and in promoting the work of the institutions that provide services in the area. The Syrian government continues to reinforce that HTS is a terrorist organization that must be fought and eliminated.
In 2018, HTS was designated by the United States as a terrorist organization, with the UN Security Council including it as a sanctioned entity linked to the Islamic State, al‑Qaeda, and associated individuals and groups.
In late 2021, government forces waged a new war against HTS (previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra), broadcasting confessions made by detainees affiliated with the Qasioun Brigades, which the government accused of being part of HTS and behind a series of blasts that have struck Damascus and its countryside over the past few years.
According to the government, a group affiliated with HTS claimed responsibility for a series of bombings in several parts of Damascus and its countryside in 2019, 2020 and 2021. On Dec. 25, the Syrian News Channel conducted interviews with members of the group who said they had received instructions from HTS’s leaders in Idlib.
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