Inside Sex Slave-Owning Al-Qaeda Splinter Group Storming Across Syria

President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria is facing opposition from the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group with historical ties to the infamous al-Qaeda.

According to information obtained by Knewz.com, the al-Qaeda offshoot group’s substantial participation in “Operation Deterrence of Aggression” in Syria has re-examined the organization and its past of enslaving women and girls, torturing them, and trafficking in people and organs.

Originally founded in 2012 under the name Jabhat al-Nusra, the Sunni Muslim militant organization HTS later changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.

Abu Mohammedal Jolani, who had joined the al-Qaeda-led insurgency in Iraq against the US invasion in 2003, founded Jabhat al-Nusra, also referred to as the Nusra Front.

Jolani returned to Syria and founded the Nusra Front in 2012 after President al-Assad halted democracy protests in 2011 and intensified his “brutal” crackdowns.

It is important to note that the notorious terrorist organization ISIS frequently claims responsibility for founding the Nusra Front, with the now-deceased Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi referring to the Jabhat al-Nusra as the Syrian affiliate of the militant group.

Jolani’s group did, however, ultimately swear allegiance to al-Qaeda, the notorious terrorist organization that carried out the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.

Al-Qaeda provided funding, personnel, and weapons to the Nusra Front for many years.

Jolani’s military organization broke from al-Qaeda in 2017 and progressively changed its name to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

As part of the uprising to depose President al-Assad, the al-Qaeda affiliate has been invading Syria at the moment.

See also  Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Dead at 100

According to reports, the HTS continues the legacy of its predecessors’ human rights violations, such as torture and sex trafficking, because of its close ties to the notorious and violent terror organizations ISIS and al-Qaeda.

The extremist gang reportedly coerces women into human trafficking, marriage, and sex slavery.

According to the Syrian Center for Victims of Human Trafficking, there is no official record of the precise number of people who have been abused by the terrorist group, and many families are known to sell their daughters to the HTS for cash.

One of the main reasons for the dearth of records, according to reports, is that families that sell their daughters to the gang for cash frequently conceal the information “for fear of shame and stigmatization by society.”

After being sold to the HTS by her uncle for $5,000, a 19-year-old had described the sexual torment she endured.

She claimed that after being “bought,” she was brought to a home where a woman operated a prostitution ring, where she was sexually abused repeatedly and sold to the man’s buddies.

In addition to carrying out massacres, bombings, and kidnappings, the HTS allegedly violates human rights by exposing its detainees to “unbelievable torture.”

Notably, the militant group has recently attempted to portray itself as a Syrian revolutionary Islamist movement, most likely in an attempt to seize power, even though the United States designated the HTS a foreign terrorist group in 2018.

The HTS has been providing the Kurdish People’s Protection Units with free passage and facilitating their escape to their stronghold in northeastern Syria as part of its efforts to restore its reputation.

See also  Grave Escalation: South Korea Says Kim Jong-un’s Troops Have Engaged Ukrainians Near Kursk

The HTS reportedly has about 30,000 fighters under its command in Syria, and the city of Idlib is part of its current holdings. There, it controls both the territory and the economy of a number of resources, including petroleum.

Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!

Leave a Comment