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Hayʾat Tahrir al-Sham
Mar 19, 2026 7:01 AM

  

Hayʾat Tahrir al-Sham1

  Syrian Civil War reignited A fighter waving the flag of Hayʾat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) while standing on top of an armored vehicle in Saraqib, Syria, on December 1, 2024. (more) Hayʾat Tahrir al-Sham Syrian militant group Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hayat-Tahrir-al-Sham Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

  External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: HTS, Hayʾat Taḥrīr al-Shām Written by Adam Zeidan Adam Zeidan is an Assistant Managing Editor, having joined Encyclopædia Britannica in 2018. He covers a range of topics related primarily to the Middle East and North Africa. Adam Zeidan Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Dec 6, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Arabic: هيئة تحرير الشام (Hayʾat Taḥrīr al-Shām; “Organization for the Liberation of the Levant”) (Show more) { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is Hayu02BEat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "HTS is a militant Islamist group in Syria that emerged during the Syrian Civil War and became one of the dominant rebel groups. It was largely confined to Idlib governorate until 2024 when it advanced on the Syrian government, whose position had been weakened by regional conflicts." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " Who leads HTS? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "HTS is led by Abu Mohammad al-Golani (Jolani), who was the leader of the Nusrah Front (Jabhat al-Nusra) before it merged with other rebel groups." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How did HTS originate from al-Qaeda? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "HTS grew out of the Nusrah Front (Jabhat al-Nusra), which was affiliated with al-Qaeda until 2016. The Nusrah Front cut ties with al-Qaeda before forming HTS, allowing it to focus on Syrian, rather than global, matters. It remained unclear how much of al-Qaedau2019s ideology the group had actually shed." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What role did HTS play in the Syrian Civil War in 2024? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "In 2024 HTS took advantage of regional developments that weakened the Syrian regime. It took control of key cities such as Aleppo and Hama after Hezbollah, a key ally of the regime, had withdrawn its fighters from Syria." } } ] } Top Questions What is Hayʾat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)? HTS is a militant Islamist group in Syria that emerged during the Syrian Civil War and became one of the dominant rebel groups. It was largely confined to Idlib governorate until 2024 when it advanced on the Syrian government, whose position had been weakened by regional conflicts.

  Who leads HTS? HTS is led by Abu Mohammad al-Golani (Jolani), who was the leader of the Nusrah Front (Jabhat al-Nusra) before it merged with other rebel groups.

  How did HTS originate from al-Qaeda? HTS grew out of the Nusrah Front (Jabhat al-Nusra), which was affiliated with al-Qaeda until 2016. The Nusrah Front cut ties with al-Qaeda before forming HTS, allowing it to focus on Syrian, rather than global, matters. It remained unclear how much of al-Qaeda’s ideology the group had actually shed.

  What role did HTS play in the Syrian Civil War in 2024? In 2024 HTS took advantage of regional developments that weakened the Syrian regime. It took control of key cities such as Aleppo and Hama after Hezbollah, a key ally of the regime, had withdrawn its fighters from Syria.

  Hayʾat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), militant Islamist group in Syria that emerged during the Syrian Civil War (2011– ). HTS was formally created in 2017 through the merger of several rebel organizations, the core of which was the Nusrah Front (Jabhat al-Nusra), a Syrian rebel group founded in 2012 that until 2016 had been affiliated with al-Qaeda. The group is led by Abu Mohammad al-Golani (Jolani), who had been the leader of the Nusrah Front before the merger. Although HTS focuses on paramilitary operations against the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, rejects a transnational jihad against the West, and does ...(100 of 1041 words)

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