UK considers removing Syrian rebel group HTS from terror list amid shift in tactics

The UK government is considering removing Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), a prominent Syrian rebel group, from its list of banned terrorist organizations.

This follows a statement from senior minister Pat McFadden, who said that a decision would be made "quickly" about whether to delist HTS, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The decision will depend on the group's future actions, with McFadden noting that countries like the UK, the United States, and various European nations will closely monitor HTS's behavior moving forward.

HTS has played a major role in the Syrian rebellion, leading an offensive that resulted in the capture of Damascus and the overthrow of the Assad regime after years of civil war. The group's founder, Abu Muhammed al Jolani, had previously been part of al Qaeda’s Nusra Front but severed ties with the organization in 2016 to present HTS as a more moderate force. In 2021, al Jolani publicly stated that he had no intention of waging war against Western nations.

HTS remains designated as a terrorist group by the US, UK, and Russia, as it was originally considered a branch of al Qaeda. However, in recent years, the group has attempted to distance itself from this image, with some, including former British Army chemical weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, suggesting that HTS appears to be evolving into a more moderate organization. De Bretton-Gordon, who visited Syria in 2020, noted that HTS had shifted its rhetoric and appeared more politically focused.

The UK government’s decision on whether to remove HTS from the terror list will depend on how the group acts in the future, with the international community closely watching the situation.

By Vafa Guliyeva