ALEPPO, Syria — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham continues its efforts to cement its power and military strength in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib by recruiting more fighters. It has established a military recruitment department with many affiliated divisions across the province that receive young men wishing to join one of the group’s brigades.
On May 10, a member of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s Shura Council, Mazhar al-Wais, appeared in a video giving a speech to a group of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham recruits in which he said, “Take initiative and walk in the steps of heroes. Communicate with us through the following accounts.”