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Al Bashir’s profile on the regional and international stage remains relatively low; however, he has a long history associated with the dominant militant rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). An electrical engineer turned political figure, he has been leading a quasi-government entity called the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) since 2017, headquartered in Idlib province. For nearly seven years, the SSG has provided civil governance services in rebel-held northwestern Syria, effectively acting as a parallel authority amid ongoing civil conflict.
Path to Power and Future Challenges