Syrian Militants Pose Threat to Interim President’s Political Survival: Report
(MENAFN) A news agency warned Saturday that insurgent groups who once ousted Bashar Assad’s regime and installed interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa now pose a significant threat to his political survival.
Late last year, Damascus fell under the control of multiple militant factions led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), including thousands of foreign fighters—some linked to extremist groups such as Islamic State and other radical organizations, the paper reported.
Although al-Sharaa “seems intent on keeping” some militants in his ranks as he seeks Western backing, the “hard-line Sunni Muslim militants” are already creating major challenges. The news agency detailed how several militants participated in brutal massacres of Alawites along Syria’s coast this March, with local reports citing at least 1,300 deaths—including 973 civilians—in just days. The country’s Christian and Druze communities have also suffered deadly sectarian violence since the leadership change.
The most extreme foreign Islamist factions are increasingly “turning their ire” toward al-Sharaa, frustrated by his failure to enforce Sharia law and accusations of cooperation with the US and Türkiye against extremist groups, the news agency added.
In a notable development earlier in May, US President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa and announced the lifting of sanctions mostly imposed during Assad’s rule. Al-Sharaa hailed the decision as “a historic and courageous decision, which alleviates the suffering of the people, contributes to their rebirth, and lays the foundations for stability in the region.”
However, the meeting sparked fierce backlash from jihadist circles. Salafi jihadism ideologue Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi issued a fatwa declaring the new Syrian leader an “infidel.”
Syria remains a volatile hub of extremist activity, risking renewed instability, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned last week. The country has become “a playground for jihadist groups, including ISIS and others,” Rubio said, warning it may be “weeks – not many months – away from potential collapse and a full-scale civil war.”
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