The armed group that took over Syria is former Al Qaeda members: Around the world

HTS (Hayaat Tahrir Al Sham) leader Ahmed Al-Shara, also known as Abu Muhammad Al-Jolani, commander in the operations department of the Syrian armed opposition, delivers a speech from inside the Umayyad Mosque after his troops declared their entry into the capital and the overthrow of Bashar Al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, on December 8, 2024. Source: ABACA / Balkis Press/ABACA/PA/AAP Image