HTS CONTROL OVER SYRIA HAS IDLIB STAMP

PROBLEMS | Lack of consultation with other rebel groups; reforms must reflect sensitivities of cultures and ethnicities

Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa's Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has swiftly established control over Syria, deploying police, forming an interim government, and engaging with foreign envoys—raising concerns about inclusivity under Damascus' new rulers.

HTS, which led a coalition to oust Bashar al-Assad last Sunday, has moved its administrators from the northwest enclave of Idlib into government offices in Damascus. Mohammed al-Bashir, formerly head of Idlib's regional government, was appointed interim prime minister, solidifying HTS' status as the dominant force among the groups that fought Assad's regime for over 13 years.