From Fighters to Policemen in a Post-Assad Damascus

Till just lately, these males had been at battle with the Syrian authorities. Now, they’re manning checkpoints throughout the capital. They’re former fighters for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or H.T.S. The Islamist group, as soon as an Al Qaeda affiliate, overthrew the federal government of Bashar al-Assad in early December. After 13 years of civil battle, restoring safety is without doubt one of the prime priorities for H.T.S. The group has put in individuals like Basel al-Helal, a former insurgent, to go the police in Damascus. The fighters turned police now management site visitors and are attempting to return property that was looted throughout the current authorities overthrow. In addition they say their mission is to conduct raids to apprehend drug sellers, thieves and former authorities officers. Earlier than ousting al-Assad, H.T.S. ran a neighborhood authorities in part of northern Syria that it managed. There, it was accused of rights abuses, together with the jailing of critics. This has some individuals fearful. They’re involved about how H.T.S. will govern now that it controls a a lot bigger and extra numerous a part of the nation. These H.T.S. fighters say considerations about them are misplaced.