Rebel forces are polities that use armed conflict in opposition to established government (or governments) to achieve political change or independence. They are distinguished from a militia or military organization by the ideology and goals of their leaders and the territory they control, according to the United Nations.
The forces that make up rebel groups can vary greatly and are often reorganized. Currently, there are several major rebel armed groups in Syria: The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army, the National Front for Liberation, and the Syrian Islamic Liberation Front.
A more specialized group is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known as HTS, or the Organization for the Liberation of the Levant. It was founded in early 2017 by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, a military commander who had fought against the US occupation of Iraq and then became a senior leader of Al Qaeda’s Jabhat al-Nusra. In 2016 he publicly broke with Al Qaeda and dissolved Jabhat al-Nusra to form HTS, which is now the largest rebel group in Idlib province and northwest Syria.
HTS’s success in Idlib reflects the popularity of its slogan “repelling aggression” and the fact that it is a Sunni Islamist group. It has rebranded itself to try to appeal to more Muslims and to broaden its support. In addition, the group has made efforts to avoid jihadist language and references in its operations and public announcements. In doing so, it hopes to gain broader international support. HTS has benefited from the fact that Iran, its biggest backer in Syria, and Russia, the regime’s main ally, have other priorities, such as their own conflict with Hezbollah and their fight against ISIS.
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