Global Jihadist Leaders Applaud Al Sharaa's Triumph: A New Era of Terror?

 

Ahmed al-Sharaa popularly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani has recently assumed a leadership role in Syria and this development has triggered a crest of congratulatory messages from different world’s terrorist groups. Al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham which used to have the connection with the al-Qaeda, removed Bashar al-Assad’s rule, that changed the political cadre of Syria.

Among those who congratulated Bin Laden first was al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). What AQAP issued in its official channels was a statement that highlighted Al-Sharaa’s tactical ingenuity and military skills, and interpreted his accomplishment as an indication that jihadist thought form a continued applicable paradigm in modern warfare. They said they expect other countries in the Middle East to emulate this victory.

Likewise, the Somali based militant group Al-Shabaab congratulated Al-Sharaa for the feat. The groups also used their communication channels to call for unity of the Islamist factions and also outlined the strengths of HTS in engaging in difficult maneuvers as much as the international community turned against them. Al-Shabaab leadership indicated that Al-Sharaa’s rise could plug operation in the Horn of Africa pattern.

In North Africa, the leadership of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has also joined in sending their fraternal congratulations. They released a statement to emphasize the importance of the Levant victory of Al-Sharaa, which they attributed to relaunching rebellion in the Sahel. Senior JNIM commanders urged their fellow jihadists to coordinate their actions to build on the triumphs of HTS.

IS-K, the local branch of ISIS, also accepted Al-Sharaa’s rise but it did so without much enthusiasm. Although historically IS-K was an adversary of HTS, it understood the geopolitical meaning of Assad’s removal. In their statement, they warned that its rise threatens to destabilise major powers in the region and called upon their supporters to learn from HTS’s methods in case they may be useful in South Asia.

The support provided to the Taliban by all these different terrorist organizations only demonstrates a web of patronage and competition. Al-Sharaa not only touched the political Syria’s landscape but became the stimulus for refreshing jihadist movements all over the globe. The international community now has the problem of responding to these changes because groups that use terrorism consider Al-Sharaa’s appearance as a confirmation of their ideas and actions.

Lastly, the international acclaim for Al-Sharaa’s triumph demonstrate a critical juncture in the nature of global terrorism . Of increasing concern is the fact that as HTS strengthens its position in Syria, other like-minded groups follow suit in terms of escalation, meaning that jihadists may form new alliances and step up operations in the very near future. This development therefore calls for a review of Counter Terrorism (CT) approaches in order to effectively respond to the new challengesconstituted by these related organisations.