Reporter's notebook: Idlib, the last Islamist rebel bastion in Syria

The centre of Idlib, May, 2023. © Wassim Nasr, FRANCE 24

SYRIA – FRANCE 24’s jihadism expert Wassim Nasr recently travelled to Idlib, the northwestern Syrian province controlled by the armed Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and a desired target for President Bashar al-Assad and his regime. During his visit, Nasr became the first-ever French journalist to meet with Abou Mohammed al-Joulani – the former chief of al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch turned HTS leader and today a sworn enemy of jihadists. Travelling from the Turkish border through to Idlib via Harem, Atmeh, Ariha, Jisr al-Choughour and the Christian village of Yacubiyeh, Nasr shares his notes and observations.

1. Idlib, the rebel stronghold's showcase city