Syrian rebel chief's journey: From al-Qaeda fighter to regional power player
Former al-Qaeda member **Abu Mohammad al-Jolani** now leads major Syrian opposition group controlling territory with 3 million people His recent push into Aleppo shows growing influence in the region
In late-2024‚ as rebel forces advanced toward Aleppo photos emerged showing a bearded commander at a military-command center. This was Abu Mohammad al-Jolani‚ head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) the main opposition group controlling north-west Syria with its three-million residents
Our involvement with al-Qaeda in the past was an era‚ and it ended
His path started about 20 years ago when he joined al-Qaeda in Iraq; after US detention he returned home in 2011 creating al-Nusra Front. By mid-2017 after splitting from both ISIS and al-Qaeda‚ he formed HTS: establishing control over parts of Idlib Aleppo and nearby areas
The groups administrative arm (called Salvation Government) manages daily life with non-strict islamic rules - they dont force women to cover faces or ban smoking. However critics point to its harsh methods: theres widespread reports of torture in detention centers and quick suppression of any protests
During the recent Aleppo push al-Jolani ordered troops to avoid harming children or cutting trees. While US still offers $10-million for his capture he tries to show himself as community leader: reaching out to Christians Druze and other minorities in his territory
