TABQA, SYRIA – JANUARY 18, 2026 Fallen Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters were burned posthumously by their enemy from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) movement. They recorded it triumphantly on video.
After the fall of Assad’s regime, Syria fragmented into several power zones. A small part is controlled by Turkey, and small ISIS cells still exist there. Most of the country, however, is divided between the aforementioned SDF and HTS. While the SDF advocate for women’s rights and have U.S. support, HTS is a radical Islamist terrorist group made up of former Al-Qaeda members.
