Terror vs. Terror: The Jihadist Infighting Begins
In a surprising turn of events, the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organization Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by Abu Mohammed al-Julani, has reportedly begun launching attacks on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. This marks an escalation of long-standing hostilities between two radical Islamist groups that have historically vied for influence in Syria and Lebanon.
The clashes come just days after Hezbollah and its affiliated terror militias killed three HTS operatives who had infiltrated Lebanon. Their bodies were discovered in the Qasr area and later retrieved by the Lebanese Red Cross. Now, in response, HTS forces are mobilizing toward the Syrian-Lebanese border, raising concerns about a broader confrontation between these two well-armed factions.
A Brewing Conflict Between Jihadist Giants
Both HTS and Hezbollah are designated terrorist organizations with extensive blood on their hands. While HTS operates predominantly in northern Syria and has sought to establish a Sunni Islamist emirate, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shiite militia, has been a major destabilizing force in Lebanon, Syria, and beyond.
For years, these groups have maintained an uneasy coexistence amid the chaos of the Syrian Civil War, occasionally clashing in localized skirmishes. However, the recent exchange of fire signals a potential shift toward open warfare—one that could further fracture Syria’s already volatile landscape.
