5 facts about Syria’s Islamist rebel group HTS and its leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani
2. HTS is a foreign terrorist organization, according to the U.S. State Department
The U.S. designated HTS as a terrorist organization in 2018, citing its history of human rights abuses and alleged links to jihadist ideology. That same year, the U.S. government imposed a $10 million bounty on the head of HTS' leader, who has been designated as a terrorist since 2013.
Jolani has claimed that HTS’ fight is not against Western nations but is focused on overthrowing the Assad regime. However, the group’s history is intertwined with extremist activities that have targeted U.S. forces in the past.
Jolani was arrested in Iraq by U.S. forces in 2006 due to his involvement with the Islamic State of Iraq, where he was a member before rising to more significant roles within the jihadist movement, according to Al Jazeera. His experiences during five-year detention likely provided him with insights into counter-terrorism tactics and the geopolitical dynamics that he later used in the Syrian conflict.
Before its rebranding, Jabhat al-Nusra was involved in grave human rights violations, such as the 2015 massacre of Druze villagers, which its leader later described as the result of a rogue commander’s actions. HTS has also been accused of coercing minority groups, including Christians and Druze, to conform to its interpretation of Islamic law.
However, the U.K. government might consider if HTS should still be designated a terrorist group after the overthrowing of al-Assad in Syria, according to the BBC.
