Over 1,500 Academics, Scholars Have Fled Syria Under HTS Rule

By Staff, Agencies

Informed sources say hundreds of university professors and academics have fled Syria amid the growing wave of abductions and killings targeting various individuals in the Arab nation under the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Sources, speaking anonymously, said the security situation in Syrian cities, especially Damascus and other major cities, is chaotic due to escalating violations by HTS militants and allies.

They mentioned violations like arrests, assaults, and removing many faculty from universities linked to the previous Assad government.

Over 1,500 university professors and academics left Syria after Assad's downfall, with migration increasing after HTS militant massacres in the western coastal region.

Dozens of doctors, engineers, and teachers lost their lives as a result of bloody clashes between HTS militants and armed opposition groups loyal to Assad.

"These massacres drove many to flee to Lebanon for safety and career prospects," the sources said.

This is compounded by the increasing number of foreign fighters of various nationalities attempting to impose their extremist ideology on the local population.