Syrian commander's path from shadows to capturing biggest city

In the last decade Abu Mohammed al-Golani changed from hidden militant to visible commander - a shift that brought major results. Breaking off his groups al-Qaida connections helped him build influence while staying out of sight

His fighters took control of Syrias biggest city in a quick well-planned move (which nobody expected to happen so fast). The offensive started in early-2024 and changed everything in the area - bringing new questions about President Bashar Assadʼs ability to keep power

At 42 yrs old‚ al-Golani leads differently than before; hes more public and strategic about building support. The militant-turned-commander spent many years working on his image: meeting with locals fixing problems and showing hes changed from his past. His group now runs most day-to-day stuff in places they control; setting up courts collecting taxes and dealing with basic needs

The take-over of such big city means the civil war - which many thought was almost done - is now active again. Its clear that al-Golani picked just the right time to act‚ using his rebuilt reputation and stronger forces to make this bold move