Syrian rebels have swept via main cities and captured territory throughout 4 provinces in a dramatic new offensive, and the Islamist chief heading the cost says their purpose is nothing wanting ousting President Bashar al-Assad.
After attracting little discover for years, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani and the rebels he leads shocked the world by launching probably the most important problem to Mr. al-Assad’s rule in a decade. He advised The New York Times in an interview this week that he was assured the rebels would rating extra victories in opposition to weakened and demoralized authorities forces.
“Our objective is to liberate Syria from this oppressive regime,” he stated in an hourlong video interview from an unknown location.
Appearing relaxed and assured, however struggling at instances with a persistent cough, he was unwavering in his competition that the rebels may finish the longtime Syria’s chief’s brutal, authoritarian rule. “This operation broke the enemy,” he stated of the rebels’ lighting offensive.
Mr. al-Jolani, 42, leads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist group as soon as linked to Al Qaeda, that has managed a lot of the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib for years.
He and his administration have come beneath criticism from inside and out of doors the nation for utilizing authoritarian techniques and cracking down on dissent.
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