People snap photos of anti-government fighters using their mobile phones at Umayyad Square in Damascus on December 9, 2024. — AFP

The UK is set to make a swift decision on whether to delist the Islamist group HTS, which led the charge to oust Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, from its terror organizations roster, according to a senior minister on Monday. Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), which has its roots in Syria's Al Qaeda branch but severed ties in 2016, remains classified as a terror group by both the UK and the United States. Pat McFadden, a minister responsible for UK national security, stated that the government is contemplating removing the group from the blacklist.

"If stability is achieved, a decision will need to be made on how to handle the new regime in place," McFadden told BBC Radio 4. "I believe it should be a relatively quick decision, given the rapid developments on the ground." He further noted that Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammad Al Jolani has been vocal about protecting minorities and respecting human rights, which will be scrutinized in the coming days. McFadden added to Sky News that the decision will also hinge on "how the group conducts itself now."

Asma Al Assad, the ousted president's wife who was born and raised in the UK, has not yet been in contact with the government, according to McFadden. "We have received no contact or request for Mr. Assad's wife to return to the UK," he told the BBC. Asma Al Assad and other associates of her husband have been sanctioned by the US since 2020, with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo labeling her as "one of Syria's most notorious war profiteers."

Bashar Al Assad, who had been in power since 2000, was overthrown on Sunday after a rapid campaign by HTS and its allies. The fall of the government marks more than 13 years since Assad's brutal crackdown on anti-government protests sparked Syria's civil war, drawing in foreign powers and militants and claiming over half a million lives. According to Russian news agencies, Bashar Al Assad and his family are now in Moscow.

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