On December 8, 2024, rebel forces deposed the regime of Syria’s longtime dictator, Bashar al Assad, after the insurgents stormed through much of the country, retaking various regional capitals and culminating in the capture of Damascus itself.
The majority of this offensive was led by Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), one of Syria’s largest rebel groups that has effectively governed much of the country’s Idlib Province for several years. Though HTS claims it is no longer affiliated with Al Qaeda, it remains a jihadist organization that began life as Al Qaeda’s local branch.
As of the time of publishing, HTS remains listed by the US government as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and its leader, Abu Muhammad al Jolani, is a Specially Designated Global Terrorist due to their history as part of Al Qaeda.
Despite these designations, a debate allegedly exists within the Biden administration around removing HTS from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations after the group led the offensive that toppled Assad. Officially, however, this purported consideration has been denied.
The alleged rationale of those favoring delisting Hayat Tahrir al Sham is that the group has become “moderate” and has disassociated itself from Al Qaeda and foreign terror groups. In addition, since HTS remains the strongest group in Syria, many within its leadership, including Jolani, will likely find themselves within the new Syrian government.
The contention that HTS broke with Al Qaeda stems from Jolani’s statement in July 2016, when he said that HTS’s then-newly formed predecessor, Jabhat Fatah Al Sham, would have “no affiliation to any external entity.” This decision came after Jolani consulted with Al Qaeda Central Leadership’s official representatives in Syria at the time.
It is important to note that Jolani did not explicitly denounce his oath of allegiance to Al Qaeda in this statement—though it was clearly meant to distance himself and his group from the terrorist group. In doing so, Jolani still thanked Al Qaeda for “understanding the need to break ties.”
“There is no doubt that problems emerged between Al Qaeda senior leaders and Abu Mohammed al Jolani after the latter’s ‘disassociation’ from Al Qaeda in 2016,” Thomas Joscelyn, a terrorism expert and co-founder of FDD’s Long War Journal, told LWJ. “But we shouldn’t forget that Jolani’s initial ‘disassociation’ was endorsed by the number two of al-Qaeda at the time.”
“And in his announcement, Jolani heaped praise on Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri while using ambiguous language concerning what his move actually meant,” Joscelyn continued. “As Al Qaeda types pointed out on social media, it appears Jolani even dressed like bin Laden for the occasion. These are just some of the reasons why real analysis requires skepticism and not cheerleading.”
It is also worth noting that Al Qaeda never publicly released Jolani from his oath to then-Al Qaeda Emir Ayman al Zawahiri. In fact, Zawahiri praised Jolani shortly after the Syrian leader reportedly broke his allegiance to him. However, since Zawahiri’s demise in July 2022, it is unknown what type of relationship Jolani has with senior Al Qaeda leaders—if any at all.
Though Jolani’s group has periodically arrested Al Qaeda-linked individuals in Syria and sometimes clashed with Hurras al Din, Al Qaeda’s current branch in Syria, the idea that HTS has “no affiliation to any external entity” is easily debunked by looking at the foreign jihadist groups that either operate under HTS’s banner or routinely fight alongside it as an organization ‘approved’ by HTS.
These groups and individuals must be accounted for in any possible consideration of removing HTS’s terrorist designation and in assessing the future of US engagement with it in Syria. Even if it is true that HTS has no official affiliation with Al Qaeda as an organization, many within HTS’s ranks or allied to it do, in fact, remain affiliated with Al Qaeda.
A sampling of foreign jihadist groups that collaborate with Jolani’s cadre follows:
The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) is an Al Qaeda-affiliated Uighur jihadist group that operates in both Afghanistan and Syria. Inside Afghanistan, it has fought alongside Al Qaeda since before the US invasion in 2001. TIP’s current overall emir, who presides over both branches, is Abdul Haq al Turkistani, who also sits on Al Qaeda’s main shura council. Inside Syria, the group remains a staunch ally of HTS, often participating in offensives alongside HTS’s men. TIP (sometimes called the East Turkistan Islamic Movement) was shockingly delisted as a terrorist organization by the US in 2020 despite its core relationship with Al Qaeda.
During the recent advance that toppled the Assad regime, TIP was at the forefront of most battles, which it heavily showcased on its propaganda and social media channels. Abdul Haq has also since released a statement praising the rebels’ victory in Syria. Video of TIP fighters parading their forces in Latakia, Syria, emerged on December 10, 2024.
The Mujahidin Ghuroba Division, formerly known as the Katibat al Ghuraba al Turkistan, is another Uighur jihadist group that operates under HTS’s banner. It was formed around 2017, when it was an independent jihadist group but still openly pro-Al Qaeda on its social media platforms. Since joining HTS and consolidating within its ranks, Katibat al Ghuraba al Turkistan is no longer as openly supportive of Al Qaeda. Importantly, the group previously operated a sub-unit composed of Palestinian fighters from the Abdullah Azzam Brigades in Lebanon. The Abdullah Azzam Brigades, which disbanded in 2019, was an Al Qaeda-affiliated organization.
Like the TIP, the Mujahidin Ghuroba Division was also heavily involved in HTS’s advances across northern Syria. For instance, the group released several photographs of its forces operating in Aleppo and Saraqib on November 29, 2024.
Katibat Imam al Bukhari, also known as the Imam Bukhari Jamaat, is an Uzbek jihadist group that operates in Syria and Afghanistan and is allied with HTS, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban. The organization swears allegiance to the emir of the Afghan Taliban, Hibatullah Akhundzada, and participated in the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. It was designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department in 2018.
In Syria, Katibat Imam al Bukhari has long been an ally of HTS and its various predecessor groups. In addition to helping HTS topple Assad in recent days, it was also present during HTS’s takeover of Idlib in 2015 (when HTS was still known as the Al Nusrah Front). Katibat Imam al Bukhari released a video of its leader in Latakia, Syria, on December 9, 2024.
Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad (KTJ) is another Uzbek (and Kyrgyz) jihadist group that operates in Syria and Afghanistan and is allied with HTS, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban. KTJ was behind a suicide bombing on the Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan in 2016. For this attack and its relationship to Al Qaeda and other Uzbek groups, including Katibat Imam al-Bukhari, the US State Department designated it as a terrorist group in 2022.
Inside Syria, KJT is heavily integrated within the ranks of HTS and directly participates in combat under HTS’s command structure. It was heavily involved in the HTS-led offensive that toppled the Assad regime. The group released a video of its fighters operating in Aleppo on November 29, 2024.
The Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) is yet another Uzbek jihadist group that operates in both Syria and Afghanistan and is allied to HTS, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban. The IJU is based in Afghanistan but maintains a branch inside Syria and fights under the banner of HTS, according to the United Nations. The US State Department’s designation of Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad also alluded to IJU’s presence in Syria with HTS. In Afghanistan, IJU has long been affiliated with Al Qaeda and assisted the Taliban in taking over the country in 2021. It was designated as a terrorist group by the US in 2005.
In Syria, the Islamic Jihad Union previously operated under the moniker of Ansar Jihad, led by a Uighur Al Qaeda veteran, Abu Omar al Turkistani. However, after Turkistani’s death in 2017 alongside other Al Qaeda leaders, the group folded into the larger HTS apparatus. The IJU’s current status is unknown, as it does not maintain independent media platforms like the other Uzbek factions.
Liwa al Muhajireen wal Ansar (LMA, formerly known as Jaish al Muhajireen wal Ansar) is a jihadist group made up of fighters from the North Caucasus who have pledged allegiance to the former Al Nusrah Front, which has since become the core of HTS. LMA was designated as a terrorist group under its previous moniker of Jaish al-Mujahideen wal Ansar in 2014. LMA released photographs of its forces operating in Aleppo and Saraqib on November 29, 2024.
It is important to note that LMA also contains the remnants of various other North Caucasian groups in Syria, such as the Caucasus Emirate. The Caucasus Emirate, or Imarat Kavkaz, was Al Qaeda’s now-defunct branch in Chechnya and the wider North Caucasus. It had an official branch inside Syria, as well as wings from its North Caucasian contingents, such as the Caucasus Emirate’s Vilayat Kabarda, Balkaria, and Karachay (KBK), and its Nogai Jamaat. Other, smaller Russian-speaking units that joined HTS, such as the Crimean Jamaat, also merged into LMA.
Ajnad al Kavkaz is a jihadist group comprised of Chechens and other North Caucasians who fight alongside HTS in Syria. Though its historical leadership has had longstanding ties to the Caucasus Emirate and, by virtue of them, Al Qaeda, Ajnad al Kavkaz has remained an independent organization inside Syria and does not openly praise any group. Its founder, Abdul Hakim al Shishani, now fights in Ukraine against Russian forces. The group released a video of its fighters in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on December 9, 2024.
Xhemati Alban, or the Albanian Jamaat, is a jihadist group primarily composed of ethnic Albanians and other Balkan fighters in Syria. It is formally part of HTS’s structure, with its emir, Abu Qatada al Albani, acting as a deputy and advisor to Jolani. Albani, whose real name is Abdul Jashari, was designated as a terrorist by the US in 2016. Xhemati Alban has openly touted its participation in the recent battles that toppled Assad.
Ansar al Islam is an Al Qaeda-linked jihadist group that was originally founded in northern Iraq in 2001 and now primarily operates in Syria (though it attempted a revival in Iraq in 2019). Ansar al Islam has long been affiliated with Al Qaeda and was a key part of the latter group’s operations inside Iraq during the US war there. The US designated it as a terrorist group in 2004.
In Syria, Ansar al Islam fights alongside Hayat Tahrir al Sham as an ally but is not formally part of HTS’s apparatus. On December 5, 2024, Ansar al Islam announced that it was involved in the fighting to depose the Assad regime.
Ansar al Tawhid, which formed out of the remnants of the former Jund al Aqsa, is a jihadist group made up of local Syrians and foreign fighters that broke away from Hurras al Din, Al Qaeda’s current branch in Syria. As Jund al Aqsa, the group was designated as a terrorist organization by the US in 2016, though its current formation is unlisted.
Ansar al Tawhid hosts many foreign contingents within its ranks, such as Firqat al Ghuraba, a French jihadist group led by Omar Diaby (a US-designated terrorist), which is openly pro-Al Qaeda. Firqat al Ghuraba has had conflicts with HTS in the past but still operates in conjunction with it as part of Ansar al Tawhid. Firqat al Ghuraba previously fought under the auspices of the Turkistan Islamic Party.
Ansar al Tawhid operates alongside Hayat Tahrir al Sham as an ally but is not formally part of HTS’s structure. On December 5, 2024, the group released a video of its fighters operating in Syria to depose the Assad regime. Firqat al Ghuraba, as part of Ansar al Tawhid, was also shown to have participated in the recent offensive that toppled Assad.
