HTS rebel group sweeping Syria tries to shed its jihadist image

Unexpected alliances, seeing strength in “diversity” – Syria’s Islamist insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former branch of al Qaeda, is trying to soften its public image in a bid to become one of Syria’s key political players. After seizing Aleppo in a lightning offensive, the armed group on Thursday seemed to have broken Damascus’s hold on the crucial city of Hama.