Last Updated:
The Syrian rebels are led by the most powerful insurgent group in the country, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, along with an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army
Syrian rebel fighters celebrate near the Clock Tower in the central city of Homs on December 8. (Image: Aref TAMMAWI/AFP)
In a swiftly developing crisis that has taken much of the world by surprise, Syrian rebels claimed to have “liberated” Damascus on Sunday with President Bashar al-Assad fleeing the country.
The army has abandoned key cities with little resistance, leaving behind tanks and even warplanes. But, what comes next? Who are these opposition fighters? What are the territories they control? What is their aim?
In the last 10 days, a stunning reversal of fortune has happened for Assad and the government as Syria’s 13-year civil war, which began with the crackdown on peaceful democracy protests.
ALSO READ | The Great Rescue Of 2015: How Russia’s Intervention Kept Syria’s Assad In Power
The opposition fighters are led by the most powerful insurgent group in the country, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, along with an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army.
The rebel coalition has Islamist and moderate factions who, despite their differences, are united in fighting the Assad regime, ISIS and Iran-backed militias. They launched the shock offensive on November 27 with gunmen capturing Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, and the central city of Hama, the fourth largest. They have now entered and captured Damascus, the country’s capital.
Here is all you need to know about the rebels:
HAYAT TAHRIR AL-SHAM
Considered a terrorist organisation by the US and United Nations, the HTS has its origins in al-Qaeda. But, according to the group and experts, in recent years it cut ties with the feared organisation and has sought to remake itself by promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action.
The Islamist group is based in what had been Syria’s last rebel bastion, the Idlib region. Its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, told CNN in an exclusive interview on December 5 that the aim of the offensive is to overthrow Assad’s government.
Another name for this formidable group is the Organization for the Liberation of the Levant. It was founded by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, a military commander who gained experience as a young fighter for al-Qaeda against the US in Iraq.
He created Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, and operated the group until a public split in 2016 over ideological differences and opposition to the Islamic State (IS). He formed HTS in 2017.
Fabrice Balanche, a lecturer at the University Lumiere Lyon 2 in France, said with its Damascus takeover, the HTS now controls more than 20,000 sq km of territory.
SYRIAN NATIONAL ARMY (SNA)
The “Syrian National Army” has dozens of factions with different ideologies and receive funding and arms from Turkey. This coalition has the National Liberation Front, comprising factions like Ahrar al-Sham whose stated aims are to “overthrow the (Assad) regime” and “establish an Islamic state governed by Sharia law”.
But, there is a complication. Some members of the rebel coalition are also fighting Kurdish forces. The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army said last week it had seized control of the city of Tal Rifaat and other towns and villages in the northern part of the Aleppo governorate. These were previously held not by Assad’s government but by another faction involved in the multi-front civil war: the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
SYRIAN DEMOCRATIC FORCES (SDF)
The SDF are largely made up of Kurdish fighters from a group known as the Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), which is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey. In Syria’s south, fighters from the country’s Druze religious minority have also joined the fight, a local activist group told CNN. They are fighting in the southern city of as-Suwayda, which borders the Daraa province, where opposition forces claim to have taken control of Daraa city.
The army said it was “redeploying and repositioning” in Daraa and as-Suwayda, which has witnessed anti-government demonstrations for the past 18 months. Daraa was the cradle of the 2011 uprising, which led to Syria’s war, but the province returned to government control in 2018.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said troops were also evacuating posts in Quneitra, near the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
KURDISH FIGHTERS
In 2012, government forces withdrew from Kurdish-majority areas in Syria’s north and east, paving the way for Kurds to establish self-rule. They gradually expanded their territory as US-backed Kurdish-led fighters battled Islamic State jihadists, dislodging the extremists from their last scraps of Syrian territory in 2019.
The Kurds already dominated northeastern Syria and controlled parts of the eastern province of Deir Ezzor province on the left bank of the Euphrates River. On December 6, they crossed the river and deployed on the right bank of the Euphrates, as government forces and their pro-Iranian allies withdrew from the area.
American troops, who have been in Syria since 2014 as part of an anti-IS coalition, have several bases in Kurdish territory. They are also present in the southern desert, at Al-Tanf Garrison near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders.
ALSO READ | ‘World Is Waiting’: Trump Urges Putin To End Ukraine War As Assad Regime Collapses In Syria
WILL THE MAIN REBEL GROUPS WORK TOGETHER?
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Syrian National Army (SNA) have been allies at times and rivals as well, and their aims might diverge. The Turkish-backed militias also have an interest in creating a buffer zone near the Turkish border to keep away Kurdish militants at odds with Ankara.
Turkey has been a main backer of the fighters seeking to overthrow Assad but more recently has urged reconciliation, and Turkish officials have strongly rejected claims of any involvement in the current offensive.
Whether the HTS and SNA will work together if they succeed in overthrowing Assad or turn on each other again is a major question.
(With agency inputs)
- Location :
Damascus, Syria
