New Journal Article on al-Qaeda in Syria

I have a new journal article in West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center Sentinel, examining the history of Syria’s al-Qaeda loyalist group Hurras al-Din. The article examines the context of the group’s rise amid the split between Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and al-Qaeda, its initial relationship with HTS that was characterised by tension, the crackdown on Hurras al-Din from June 2020 onwards, and the final dissolution of Hurras al-Din in January 2025. The article concludes by examining what the group’s dissolution means for the future of al-Qaeda in Syria and Western counter-terrorism concerns in Syria.