The leader of rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria, al-Sharaa, has stated that his group should be removed from the list of terror organizations as they do not target civilians and are victims of Assad's cruelty. Al-Sharaa has claimed to have turned away from the Jihadist ways of al Qaida, ISIS, and the Taliban, and is seeking a moderate regime that respects all minorities in the areas under its control.