Last week, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, one of the better-known rebel groups by another name – the Commission for the Liberation of the Levant, took over Damascus. They took Aleppo again and captured the mighty 46th Regiment of the Syrian Army. Second, HTS seized Hamam, the country’s second-largest city, thereby securing its largest territorial gains to date. The victory has wide-ranging implications on the world level, despite HTS’ attempts at rebranding itself as a “post-jihadist” entity committed to the fight against transnational Islam. Of all al-Qaeda’s Syrian franchises, Jabhat al-Nusra and HTS tried to reposition itself without sacrificing fundamental ideological tenets.
The public celebration of the Taliban’s 2021 victory in Afghanistan by the group underscores its ideological alignment with other jihadist movements. This is threatening, particularly since a land-based jihadist entity has newly emerged only four years after then-President Donald Trump declared that the Islamic State had been defeated. Such a comeback is not an isolated occurrence but rather part of a century-long trajectory of Islamist mobilisation in Syria. This competing agenda of regional and global powers has aggravated the situation in the Syrian crisis: Israel, Iran, Turkey, the United States, and Russia. They all are fuelling the conflict by proxy engagements but their influence will be far-reaching and transnational.
The Seeds of Radicalism
All the views and opinions expressed are those of the author. Image Credit – Britannica.
About the Author
Mohammad Taha Ali currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Peace Building from Jamia Millia Islamia. He completed Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Delhi.
