Who is Abu Mohammed al-Julani, HTS leader heading Syrian insurgency
What's the story
In just days, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani has transformed the Syrian conflict's landscape by seizing major cities, including Aleppo and Hama.
As of Friday, Syrian insurgents have entered north of the country's third largest city, Homs, sweeping along a route that ultimately leads to the capital, Damascus.
As rebels continue to take control of more cities, President Bashar al-Assad's family has fled to Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Founding HTS
Al-Julani's vision: An "Islamic Republic" in Syria
Al-Jolani has said their objective is to overthrow the Assad regime in Damascus.
Born Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa in 1982, Al-Julani founded HTS with the aim of creating an "Islamic republic" in Syria.
Since 2016, he has positioned himself and his party as caretakers of a Syria free of al-Assad, who brutally suppressed a revolt during the Arab Spring in 2011, sparking a war that has lasted ever since.
Radical roots
Al-Julani's journey: From al-Qaeda to HTS
Al-Julani moved to Syria in 1989 and joined al-Qaeda in Iraq during the US invasion in 2003.
He was captured by US forces in 2006 and held for five years before founding the al-Nusra Front in Syria.
Despite initially collaborating with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Al-Julani rejected the formation of ISIL in 2013, choosing instead to maintain his allegiance to al-Qaeda.
HTS formation
Al-Julani's vision: Syria under "Islamic law"
In 2014, al-Julani declared Syria should be ruled under "Islamic law" without accommodating minorities like Christians.
By 2016, he rebranded his group as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and later merged with other factions to form HTS in 2017.
In later years, al-Julani appeared to distance himself from al-Qaeda's goal of establishing a "global caliphate" in all Muslim-majority nations, instead focusing on strengthening his group within Syria's borders.
Post-Capture plans
Al-Julani's assurance: Protection for religious, ethnic minorities
HTS is currently designated as a "terrorist" organization by the United Nations, Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
Al-Julani has stated that this classification is unfair because his group has abandoned previous allegiances in favor of a national one.
To reassure Aleppo inhabitants, especially minorities, HTS has issued text messages stating that its authority over the city will not jeopardize their safety.
So far, Christians have remained mostly in the city, holding service on Sunday, Reuters reported.