The Syrian government, which has direct ties to Al Qaeda, has also linked the attack, carried out by a member of Syria’s security forces, to the Islamic State. The Syrian security services are dominated by foreign and domestic jihadists, many of whom are loyal to or allied with Al Qaeda and are hostile to the US, or have served in Hayat Tahrir al Sham, Al Qaeda’s former branch in Syria. Syria’s president, Ahmad al Sharaa, was the head of Al Qaeda’s Hayat Tahrir al Sham and reported directly to former Al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri before Sharaa distanced himself from Al Qaeda in 2017.
Author: Bill Roggio
Published at: 2026-01-17 22:20:38
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