10.12.2024 10:43
The leader of HTS, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, who has become the strongest armed opposition force in Syria, is in the global spotlight. Born in Saudi Arabia in 1982, al-Julani's father's profession is surprising.
On November 27, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led operations, and within a short period of 12 days, the 61-year-old Baath regime was brought to an end by the opposition. Interesting information continues to emerge regarding the ongoing process following Bashar al-Assad's escape to Russia.
The Arab press reported that the person leading the attack is Abu Muhammad al-Julani, who heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which has become the most powerful armed opposition force in Syria. Following the developments in Syria, many things about Julani, who has suddenly become one of the most recognized names in the world, have also sparked curiosity.
HIS FATHER WAS AN ENGINEER
HTS leader Julani was born in 1982 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under the name Ahmed Hussein al-Shara, where his father worked as a petroleum engineer. The family returned to Syria in 1989 and settled near Damascus. Very little is known about the time he spent in Damascus before moving to Iraq in 2003.
"SYRIA IS BEING CLEANSED"
After the fall of Damascus, HTS leader Julani stated in a speech at the Umayyad Mosque in the capital of Syria, "Today, Syria is being cleansed; my heart has been beating for this moment for over 20 years." While praying and speaking at the Umayyad Mosque, Julani referred to Assad as "This tyrant has oppressed the entire Syrian people. He turned Syria into a farm for Iran's ambitions," and added, "He spread sectarianism and corruption and got what he wanted. Thank God, today Syria is being cleansed. My heart has been beating for this moment for over 20 years."
THE RISE OF HTS
In July 2016, Aleppo fell into the hands of the regime, and the armed groups there began to head towards Idlib, which is still under the control of the opposition. It was during this period that al-Julani announced that his group had changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.
In early 2017, thousands of fighters fleeing from Aleppo flocked to Idlib, and Julani announced that he would establish HTS by merging some of these groups with his own.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, HTS's primary goal was to liberate Syria from Assad's autocratic government, to "drive Iranian militias out of the country," and to establish a state based on their interpretation of Islamic law.
HTS is currently recognized as a "terrorist organization" by the United Nations, Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. Al-Julani argues that this designation is unfair because his group has abandoned its past allegiances in favor of national loyalty.