Ahmed al-Sharaa, commander of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), also known as Abu Muhammad al-Julani, praised what he called the “historic” victory on Sunday during his visit to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. This came hours after opposition factions led by HTS announced the overthrow of the Syrian government and the flight of former President Bashar al-Assad, following their forces’ entry into the Syrian capital.
In a video posted by the factions on Telegram, Sharaa, speaking from inside the Umayyad Mosque, said: “This victory, my brothers, is for the entire Islamic nation; this victory is historic for the region,” according to AFP. He added, “Today, Syria is cleansed,” and emphasized that “this victory is the torments of the people who languished in prisons, and the mujahideen liberated them by breaking the shackles against the will of the tyrant.”
Sharaa also accused Assad of having “left Syria as a farm for Iranian ambitions” and claimed that Assad “spread sectarianism and stirred up corruption.”
As Shara entered the Umayyad Mosque, a crowd of followers chanted “Allahu Akbar,” as shown in a video circulating online.
HTS, formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, was initially al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria. Since its separation from al-Qaeda in 2016, al-Julani has attempted to reshape his group’s image, presenting himself as a more moderate leader, though Western governments and analysts have not been convinced to remove HTS from terrorism lists.
After nearly 25 years in power, including 13 years during which he ignored the Syrian people’s calls for freedom, Bashar al-Assad fell just 11 days after a surprise attack by rebel factions, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
