Western doctrines, 3D printed weapons, and a PR strategy: Here's how Syria's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham stumped all

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Just half a decade ago, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was naught but a struggling Islamist rebel group. It was barely surviving under sustained attacks by the Russian-backed Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria.

Now, the HTS is making headlines for mounting a lightning assault and snatching Aleppo from the government.

According to the Financial Times, the group has become a formidable force now. Its base boasts of a military academy, centralised command, specialised units, and, most importantly, a homegrown weapons manufacturing industry.

In Idlib province, HTS has established itself as a proto-military organisation. Its units are now equipped with tanks, drones, artillery, and snipers. Recent operations, including the high-profile raid across northern Syria, have shown the group's growing capabilities.

"It has transformed over the past four, five years into essentially a polished proto-military," Financial Times cited Aaron Zelin, an expert on the group at the Washington Institute, as saying.