Sources: Iraq issues arrest warrant for HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa
Shafaq News/ The Iraqi judiciary has issued an arrest warrant for Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and head of military operations in Syria, informed sources revealed on Saturday.
Al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, serves as the military commander of the Syrian armed opposition, which toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime on December 8 after its forces entered Damascus.
The sources told Shafaq News Agency, “Al-Sharaa was detained in Iraq by US forces during his affiliation with al-Qaeda between 2007 and 2008. However, he was later released by the Americans without any involvement from Iraqi authorities or judicial rulings against him at the time.”
“After detainees confessed to various terrorism charges involving al-Julani, an arrest warrant was issued against him years ago, although no court verdict has been rendered,” they added.
Earlier, al-Sharaa denied involvement in Iraq's past sectarian conflicts, asserting that HTS has cut ties with al-Qaeda and now operates solely in Syria's national interests. "We have no current connections with any external organizations or entities," he stated.
HTS, previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, declared its full separation from al-Qaeda in 2016. Since then, the group has “softened” its policies and actions in Idlib, where it maintains significant influence and authority.
On Friday, during a visit by an American delegation to Damascus, the State Department's top Middle East diplomat, Barbara Leaf, announced that the US had canceled the $10 million reward for information on the HTS leader. Leaf stated that she had met with the new Syrian leadership, including al-Sharaa, and told him that Washington would no longer offer a reward for his capture.
Observers noted that a search of the US Rewards for Justice website, which offers rewards for information on "wanted terrorists," no longer shows the page for al-Sharaa. However, HTS remains listed.
