DAMASCUS, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Syria's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader, Ahmad al-Shara, urged here on Wednesday the lifting of international sanctions on Syria, saying that the country poses no threat to the world, according to a BBC report.
Al-Shara, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, told BBC in an interview that "HTS should be de-listed as a terrorist organization," as the group "did not target civilians or civilian areas."
According to BBC, Al-Shara denied that he wants to turn Syria into a version of Afghanistan, noting that the two countries have different traditions and mindsets, and that he believes in education for women.
Al-Shara led a 12-day military operation that resulted in the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government on Dec. 8.
He has vowed to take "careful, deliberate steps" to rehabilitate state institutions to ensure a "strong and efficient" governance system, and to create a safe environment for refugees to return and announced plans of sweeping reforms, not least a 400-percent salary increase, disarming all factions, and rebuilding war-torn communities. ■
