The head of Syria's leading jihadist alliance called on rebels Tuesday to "close ranks" to fend off a Russian-backed government offensive in the country's northwest.
It was Abu Mohamed al-Jolani's first audio recording since Russia claimed in October to have carried out an air strike that left the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) commander in a coma.
Moscow is now backing a weeks-long assault by Syrian troops on HTS's stronghold in the northwest province of Idlib, and Jolani on Tuesday appealed to the fragmented rebel movement to unite against it.
"For 100 days, we have been fighting one of the fiercest battles on all levels," Jolani said in an audio statement released by HTS media.
Some opposition factions have long refrained from fighting alongside HTS, most recently because of a "de-escalation" agreement in areas including Idlib that was brokered by world powers in Astana last year.