Syrian jihadi group exploits poverty in Idlib to attract new members

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls Idlib, is taking advantage of the difficult living conditions of the people to attract more people into its ranks by offering high salaries.
A young displaced Syrian returns from school to an overcrowded camp for the internally displaced near the village of Qah, close to the Turkish border, northwestern Idlib province, Oct. 28, 2020.
A young displaced Syrian returns from school to an overcrowded camp for the internally displaced near the village of Qah, close to the Turkish border, northwestern Idlib province, Oct. 28, 2020. - Ahmad al-Atrash/AFP via Getty Images
Mouneb Taim
Mouneb Taim
@mouneb_taim

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is still the largest and most dominant faction in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, amid its continuous attempts to control other areas to expand its influence, despite the existence of other factions supported by Turkey.

HTS is trying to exploit the poverty of the youth to push them to join its ranks by luring them with a panoply of incentives.

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