What’s behind it?, NBC, 22 February 2018 "According to a recent report by U.N. experts, Syria's powerful Nusra Front is one of the "strongest and largest al-Qaeda affiliates" in the world and is a dominant force in Syria's Hay'at Tahrir al Sham coalition. The group, known as HTS, boasts between 7,000 and 11,000 fighters." ↑ Reality Check team (7 September 2018).