Israel’s Bashan Arrow operation in Syria continues
Israel’s Bashan Arrow operation in Syria continues. The Israelis have strengthened their presence in the Golan Heights DMZ and targeted more critical assets belonging to the former Assad regime.
Tag Archives: HTS
A new window into the Assad regime’s narcotrafficking operations
Worth approximately $10 billion, the illicit captagon drug trade served as a financial lifeline for the Assad regime in Syria. Since Bashar al Assad’s ouster, new details about narcotrafficking operations and the extent of regime involvement have come to light.
Turkistan Islamic Party uses video from Syria to encourage jihad in China
The Turkistan Islamic Party is an Al Qaeda branch that fights under the banner of Hayat Tahrir al Sham, the Salafist jihadist terror group that led the overthrow of the Assad regime and is forming a new Syrian government.
Analysis: Who liberated Damascus? Unpacking the Southern Operations Room’s emergence
The Southern Operations Room, a coalition of armed groups active in southern Syria, was the first to enter Damascus, forcing Bashar al-Assad to flee. Although not formally affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the coalition’s shifting allegiances over previous years have heightened uncertainty regarding the situation in post-Assad Syria.
US launches massive strikes on Islamic State as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham deposes Assad regime
The significant US operation against the Islamic State is part of the effort to degrade the terror group and keep it from gaining ground in areas held by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the wake of the Assad regime’s collapse. The attacks may also serve as a warning to the Syrian National Army (SNA) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) not to push too hard against the SDF, America’s flawed ally in Syria.
Israel moves forces into buffer zone with Syria as Assad regime falls
On December 8, Syria’s Assad regime fell from power, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu journeyed to the Golan Heights. “This is a historic day for the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime, the tyranny in Damascus, offers great opportunity but also is fraught with significant dangers,” Netanyahu said. Israel sent additional troops to the Golan on December 7 and conducted training to confront the developments in Syria. The IDF also seized part of the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, part of a buffer zone between Israel and Syria.
Islamic State confirms death of yet another leader, appoints new ‘caliph’
Another caliph is dead. A new one, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, has been appointed.
U.S. adds Al Qaeda leader in Syria to list of global terrorists
Sami al-Uraydi, a Jordanian national and senior leader within al-Qaeda’s official branch in Syria, has been designated.
U.S. targets suspected al Qaeda leader in Idlib, Syria
The U.S. military said it targeted a senior al Qaeda leader in Idlib province, Syria on Sept. 20, but has offered few details concerning the airstrike.
U.S. designates al Qaeda financial facilitator based in Turkey
The U.S. Treasury Department announced today that two money men working for al Qaeda and Hay’at Tahrir al Sham (HTS) have been designated. The designations are part of a broader U.S. effort to sanction individuals and entities taking part in the Syrian war. Other extremists and parts of Bashar al-Assad’s regime were also designated and sanctioned as part of the campaign.
Jihadist group confirms arrest of Uzbek commander
Jabhat Ansar al Din has confirmed that Abu Saloh al Uzbeki, the former leader of HTS’ Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad, has indeed been arrested by his former group.
Hay’at Tahrir al Sham reportedly arrests Uzbek jihadist leader
Abu Saloh, the founder and first emir of Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad, was arrested by HTS yesterday after the jihadist reportedly failed to pay his debts.
HTS utilizes suicide bombings against advancing regime forces
Since the beginning of the year, Hay’at Tahrir al Sham has utilized at least 12 suicide bombers in defense of Idlib from advancing regime forces.
Wanted al Qaeda leader warns of Turkish influence on jihad in Syria
Al Qaeda Telegram channels have shared a statement attributed to Saif al-Adel. He writes that the jihadis modify their military program to take into account Turkey’s influence.
UN: Islamic Jihad Union operates in Syria
In the UNSC’s new report on the Islamic State, al Qaeda, and affiliated groups, the UN states that the Uzbek jihadist group, the Islamic Jihad Union, operates in Syria. This was not previously known.
Assad’s forces battle jihadists for key terrain in Latakia
The Turkistan Islamic Party, “Incite the Believers” operations room and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham are all battling Bashar al-Assad’s loyalists in Latakia, Syria.
Al Qaeda-linked operations room counterattacks as bombs fall in northern Syria
The Assad regime and Russia have stepped up their bombing campaign in northwestern Syria in recent weeks. The al Qaeda-linked “Incite the Believers” operations room has counterattacked with a series of operations.
Zawahiri criticizes jihadists in Syria for clinging to territory under Turkey’s protection
In a message released on Feb. 5, al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri harshly criticizes the jihadists in Syria. He says they are engaged in a misguided “competition” for “imagined authority” over territory that is under the oversight “of secular Turkish checkpoints.”
2 al Qaeda leaders reject proposed military council in Syria
Abu Hammam al-Shami and Dr. Sami al-Uraydi have rejected a proposal that they say would create a new military council in northern Syria under the leadership of an Assad regime dissident. The proposal was allegedly put forth by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s leaders, whom al-Shami and al-Uraydi have quarreled with in the past.
Jihadist group consolidates control in northwestern Syria
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a US and UN-designated terrorist organization, has strengthened its grip on northwestern Syria in recent weeks. HTS has seized ground from rival insurgents.
Al Qaeda-linked operations room calls for another mediation effort in Syria
The “Incite the Believers” operations room has called for an independent sharia court to settle the disputes between rival insurgents in Syria. “Incite the Believers” was established by the “Guardians of Religion” organization, Ansar al-Din Front, and Ansar al-Islam late last year.
Analysis: Jihadists in Syria react to Sochi agreement
Hay’at Tahrir al Sham (HTS), the most powerful jihadist organization in Idlib province, has finally issued a statement addressing the agreement reached between Turkey and Russia last month. HTS vows to continue waging jihad, and warns that it doesn’t trust Russia’s “intentions,” but does not directly repudiate the Sochi accord.
Interview with an Iranian fighter in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
Lars Hauch conducted an online interview with a fighter who migrated from Iran to Syria and joined Harakat Muhajirin Ahl Sunnat Iran, an Iranian battalion in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). HTS is a large Sunni jihadist group that is opposed to the Assad regime and its Iranian-backed allies.
Hezbollah commemorates last year’s joint operation with Lebanese, Syrian militaries
Despite official Lebanese claims to the contrary, the photos recently released by Hezbollah offer more evidence of how its forces coordinated with the Lebanese military in last year’s battle near Arsal.
UN: Iran-based leaders ‘have grown more prominent’ in al Qaeda’s global network
A report by the United Nations includes new details concerning the dispute between Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and al Qaeda’s senior leaders, including the role played by two veteran operatives living in Iran. The UN’s member states say that HTS is still in “contact” with al Qaeda’s leadership despite their heated disagreements, and that al Qaeda has even reinforced HTS with “military and explosives experts” sent from Afghanistan.
Sunni jihadists and Assad regime swap civilians and prisoners
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has cut a deal with Bashar al-Assad’s regime to exchange thousands of residents in Kefraya and al-Fouah, two predominately Shiite towns in the northern province of Idlib, for 1,500 prisoners held in Assad’s prisons.
Islamic State targets rival jihadists and Islamists in northern Syria
The Islamic State has targeted key jihadist and Islamist leaders in Idlib province in recent weeks. The so-called caliphate’s assassination campaign has focused on prominent figures in Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as well as other groups.
Jihadists try to rally opposition in southern Syria
Hay’at Tahrir al Sham (HTS) and its jihadist rivals in the “Guardians of Religion” organization have called on all Muslims to resist the Assad regime’s new offensive in southern Syria. However, severe infighting has limited the jihadists’ ability to launch sustained operations against the Assad regime and its allies.
State Department amends terror designation for Al Nusrah Front
The State Department has amended the terrorist designation for Al Nusrah Front to include the “alias” Hay’at Tahrir al Sham (HTS). State’s announcement indicates that the US government still considers HTS to be part of al Qaeda’s network, despite the jihadists’ vitriolic disputes over its formation. State didn’t explain its reasoning behind the move.
Al Qaeda again addresses factional infighting in Syria
The latest edition of al Qaeda’s Al-Nafir news bulletin addresses the jihadists’ infighting in Syria. Al Qaeda has been forced to comment on the disputes multiple times over the past year.