British senior diplomats engage in discussions with the leader of the HTS militant group in Syria
A delegation of British diplomats has engaged in discussions with the leader of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant organization, which recently played a pivotal role in the removal of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. This development comes in the backdrop of extensive reports suggesting backing from Western nations and Israel.
Images disseminated by the military operations department of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) revealed a meeting on Monday between the group’s leader, Mohammed al-Golani, and high-ranking British officials in Damascus.
Among the individuals photographed with al-Golani was Ann Snow, the United Kingdom’s special envoy to Syria.
On Monday, the British delegation engaged in discussions with HTS concerning the “latest developments” within the Arab nation, as reported by HTS.
In a significant development, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has confirmed that London has commenced “diplomatic contact” with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group designated as a terrorist organization by the United Kingdom.
On Sunday, a British official informed local media that despite Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s status as a proscribed terrorist organization in the United Kingdom, diplomatic engagement with the group is permissible. These interactions are intended to facilitate the formation of a representative government in Syria and to ensure the safety and security of its chemical weapons stockpiles.
On Monday, a meeting took place following the announcement by the British Foreign Secretary that a delegation was dispatched to engage in discussions with interim Syrian authorities and civil society organizations. This development comes in the wake of the recent collapse of Assad’s government earlier this month.
On Monday, the British delegation reaffirmed its dedication to Syria, with Lammy emphasizing the United Kingdom’s pledge to back a “Syrian-led and Syrian-owned inclusive transitional political process.”
Al-Golani has appealed to Western nations to remove their sanctions on Syria and has rejected the classification of his organization as a “terrorist organization” by the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries. He argued that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) engaged in “military activities.”
He is recognized as the founder of the Syrian division of al-Qaeda and previously served as the deputy commander of the Daesh Takfiri militant organization.
On November 27, insurgents led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham initiated a sudden and coordinated offensive targeting the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo and the surrounding regions of Idlib’s countryside.
The group advanced southward, successfully capturing control of key cities such as Hama, Homs, Dara’a, and Suwayda. Their campaign culminated in the seizure of Damascus on the morning of December 8.
