Former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria seeks to soften its brand

The militant group known as HTS is conducting a rare experiment in local government

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January 2, 2022 at 4:40 p.m. EST
Fighters with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham on the front lines of the militant group's territory in Afes in Syria's Idlib province on Oct. 13. HTS controls Idlib and has set up a government there. (Nicole Tung for The Washington Post)

IDLIB, Syria — The Islamist militants attacked the radio station for years, because it played music, because it hired women, because its liberal values posed a challenge to Syria’s zealous men with guns.

Lately, though, the attacks on the station have stopped, and its tormentor — a militant group once affiliated with al-Qaeda called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — is trying to convince Syrians and the world it is no longer as radical or repressive as it once was.