Official announcement from the UK Home Office or government press release

UK to Review Terror Status of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, Says Minister, Following Assad's Ouster

Dec 9, 2024, 08:37 AM

The UK government is considering removing Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Syrian rebel group, from its list of proscribed terrorist organizations. HTS, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, was banned in 2017 due to its affiliation with al-Qaeda. The Home Office has noted a 'splintering' between HTS and al-Qaeda. HTS played a leading role in the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad's regime and spearheaded the Syrian armed opposition forces' alliance. Senior Minister Pat McFadden told Sky News's Kay Burley that the government would review the group's status, saying, 'We will have to consider that' and 'We'll consider it, depending on how they behave now.' He added, 'We will review it; I don't know how long that will take.' The decision reflects the changing dynamics in Syria following the ousting of Assad and signals a potential shift in the UK's approach to HTS.