Rebel Group HTS Rapidly Consolidates Power in Post-Assad Syria, Raising Concerns Over Inclusivity

Ahmad al-Sharaa's Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has moved swiftly to assert its control over Syria following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad. The group has already deployed police, formed an interim government, and engaged with foreign diplomats, but questions are emerging about the inclusivity of the new regime in Damascus.

Since HTS, leading a coalition of rebel factions, removed Assad from power on Sunday, the group's administration—previously confined to Syria's northwest enclave of Idlib—has taken over the government headquarters in Damascus. On Monday, Mohammed al-Bashir, formerly head of the regional administration in Idlib, was appointed interim prime minister, cementing HTS's dominance among the factions that spent over 13 years fighting Assad’s rule.

While HTS has historical ties to al-Qaeda, from which it formally split in 2016, the group has sought to project a more moderate image. During its advance on Damascus, HTS assured tribal leaders, local officials, and citizens that minority faiths would be protected. This pledge gained widespread support and facilitated its rapid takeover. Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has reiterated these promises since Assad’s removal.

Speaking from the ornate office of the Damascus governor, Mohammed Ghazal, a civil engineer from Idlib who now holds a key administrative role, dismissed concerns about the group imposing Islamist governance. "There is no such thing as Islamic governance. After all, we are Muslims, and these are civil institutions or ministries," said Ghazal, emphasizing inclusivity. "We don't have any problem with any ethnicity or religion. The one who made the problem was the (Assad) regime."

Despite such reassurances, the process of forming the interim government has raised concerns. Critics, including four opposition sources and three diplomats, have pointed to the predominance of administrators brought in from Idlib, questioning whether the approach sufficiently reflects Syria’s diverse population.

While Bashir has indicated his term as interim prime minister will end in March, HTS has yet to clarify details of the political transition, including plans for a new constitution. This lack of transparency, coupled with the group’s designation as a terrorist organization by the United States, Turkey, and other governments, has fueled unease about the trajectory of the new leadership in Syria.