Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) commander-in-chief Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, real name Ahmad Sharaa, giving a speech at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on Dec. 8, 2024. (Credit: Posted on HTC's Telegram channel)
The leader of Syria's Islamist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that headed a lightning rebel offensive snatching Damascus from government control visited the capital's landmark Umayyad Mosque Sunday, an AFP correspondent said.
HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, gave a speech as the crowd chanted "Allahu akbar," a video shared by the rebels on their Telegram channel showed. As he entered the mosque, crowds could be seen cheering him on, videos circulating online showed.
The leader of Syria's Islamist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that headed a lightning rebel offensive snatching Damascus from government control visited the capital's landmark Umayyad Mosque Sunday, an AFP correspondent said.
HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, gave a speech as the crowd chanted "Allahu...