ADVERTISEMENT Just weeks ago, Syrian rebels succeeded in overthrowing Bashar al-Assad's regime, putting an end to a 13-year-long war. The long-standing ruler of Syria fled to Moscow, where President Vladimir Putin granted him asylum, marking a clear sign of Russia's diminishing influence in the region. The offensive was, among others, initiated by the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Its leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani who was once the head of an al-