Syria's new era: Jolani's surprising rise to power

"This victory, my brothers, is a victory for the entire Islamic nation. This new triumph, my brothers, marks a new chapter in the history of the region," emphasised Jolani, speaking in the historic Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on Sunday. However, he added that the overthrow of Assad is also a victory for all Syrians.

The Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or the Organization for the Liberation of the Levant, was formed in 2017 from the reorganisation of other groups, the most well-known of which was Jabhat al-Nusra, also described as the Nusra Front. This last organisation was recognised as the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda. HTS is still designated as a terrorist group by, among others, the US, EU, and Turkey.

"Despite Jolani’s effort to distance his new group from al Qaeda, the United States designated HTS a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2018 and placed a $10 (€9.5) million bounty on him," reported CNN.

Born in 1982, Julani went to Iraq following the US invasion to fight with Al-Qaeda. He was arrested by the Americans and spent five years in prison. After his release and the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, he returned to his homeland to establish the Nusra Front. The group initially had ties with both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

In 2013, Julani refused to subjugate his organisation to the then-successful Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. In 2016, he also broke ties with Al-Qaeda, declaring that he rejects terrorism aimed at the West and focuses on fighting Assad in Syria.

HTS eventually became one of the strongest Islamist rebel groups in Syria. As the US-led coalition, largely composed of Syrian Kurds, ousted the Islamic State from eastern Syria, Jolani and his group consolidated their power in the northwest of the country, controlling a large part of Idlib province. HTS organised a civilian administration there known as the Syrian Salvation Government.

Jolani moved away from the image of a fundamentalist, softened the tone of his statements, and the change was also evident in his attire. The fighter granted interviews to Western media, but no longer wore the traditional turban he once did, opting instead for a regular military uniform, and over time, purely civilian clothing.

He is described as a "pragmatic radical" by the AFP agency, which added that his supporters value him for his realism, while his opponents criticise and accuse him of opportunism.

Using the pseudonym Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, his real name is Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa. His nickname comes from the Arabic pronunciation of the Golan Heights. Julani explained that he adopted it in honour of his grandfather, who originated from this region of Syria but was displaced after its capture by Israel in 1967.

On Sunday, Syrian rebels announced they had taken control of the country. Two organisations were involved in the action: HTS, the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham led by Abu Muhammad al-Julani and the Syrian National Army. There are claims that Turkey helped coordinate the rebels' offensive and gave it the green light. However, Turkish authorities officially deny playing any role in the recent events in Syria.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad left Damascus on Sunday in an unknown direction. On the same day, reports emerged that he died in a plane crash. Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Gazi al-Jalali stated that since Saturday evening, the whereabouts of the ousted Syrian president have been unknown. However, a few hours later, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which had supported his regime for years, announced that he had left the country, and on Sunday evening Russian agencies TASS and RIA Novosti reported that Assad and his family members are in Moscow, and Russia granted them asylum.