The Assad regime has finally collapsed after more than 50 years in power, with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Moscow. This leaves Syria in the hands of multiple groups vying for control. One of the main groups is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a terror organization that seized key cities like Aleppo, Hama, and Homs. Originally known as al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate, HTS has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.
The leader of HTS, Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has a $10 million bounty on his head by the United States. The group has a history of human rights abuses, including torture and killing, documented by the United Nations.
In recent years, al-Golani has changed his rhetoric, claiming that HTS poses no threat to the West. However, their authoritarian governance and ideology still pose risks to the diverse population of northwest Syria.
Another key player in the Syrian conflict is the Syrian National Army (SNA), formed by defectors from Assad’s army in 2011. Supported by the Turkish military, the SNA controls territory in northern Syria along the Turkish border. They have engaged in battles against both ISIS and Kurdish forces.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is another significant group, formed by Kurdish and Arab militias to combat ISIS. They control most of eastern Syria, including Raqqa and Deir el-Zor. The YPG, a Kurdish militia within the SDF, has received support from the United States but is viewed as a threat by Turkey due to its alleged ties to the PKK terrorist group.
Overall, Syria is currently divided among multiple factions, each vying for control and influence in the war-torn country. For control of the city of Manbij, the forces of 9 fought against the rival SNA. There are reports, though unconfirmed, that the SNA has successfully ousted the SDF from Manbij.
In the Southern Operations Room, a new rebel group has emerged in the southern region of Syria, seizing the city of Daraa, where the uprising against the Assad regime began in April 2011. This group, known as the Southern Operations Room (SOR), consists of fighters from the Druze minority, who also reside in southern Lebanon and Israel’s Golan Heights.
Despite remnants of ISIS still present in eastern Syria, the group is no longer as threatening as it was between 2014 and 2018. U.S. forces deployed in Syria remain focused on ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS to prevent any resurgences. Approximately 900 U.S. troops are stationed in Syria, controlling oil fields near the Euphrates River.
ISIS rose to power in 2013, swiftly capturing territory in eastern Syria and northern Iraq, establishing a self-proclaimed caliphate and committing brutal acts such as beheadings of hostages. However, a coalition of U.S., Iraqi, Syrian, and Kurdish forces eventually defeated ISIS militarily.
This article contains information from Reuters. “Please provide a different version.”
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