Analyst Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi stated on X over the past hour that analysts implying Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) acts as a Turkish proxy are "both historically and politically illiterate," noting a convergence of interests regarding the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) but recalling that HTS stormed Afrin only about two years ago and left following a Turkish military threat. Al-Tamimi referenced Tawaq Media reporting that Abu al-Bara' was a member of al-Asa'ib al-Hamra, adding that Ansar al-Tawhid was an HTS ally supposed to be integrated into new forces, according to his X post at https://x.com/ajaltamimi/status/2010386265208705476. He highlighted past instances of HTS using suicide bombers during the Idlib offensive in 2019-20, as detailed in a Middle East Institute publication. Al-Tamimi criticized experts unable to distinguish ISIS ideology from HTS, stating HTS documented the Nov. 27 battle and lost elite forces in critical moments to avoid suicide attacks, per his X post during the 4:15-5:15 p.m. UTC window on Jan. 11. These remarks occur amid Syrian government forces' seizures of SDF ammunition depots in Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud district over prior hours, according to X posts by QalaatAlMudiq.
