HTS leaders rule Syria through extremist sheikhs, report says

A report reveals that Syria is being run by extremist Sunni sheikhs under the control of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), sidelining state institutions. These clerics reportedly influence legal, social, and foreign policy decisions — including negotiations with Israel. Following the HTS takeover, the massacre of Alawites in coastal areas has heightened fear among religious minorities.