Syria’s de-facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said he believed in education for women as he denied the new government would be another version of the Taliban.

But al-Sharaa, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, refused to answer whether the consumption of alcohol would be allowed when asked by the BBC.

The rebel leader led the lightning offensive that saw Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrow Bashar al-Assad’s autocratic regime less than two weeks ago.

With al-Sharaa now in control of Syria, questions have turned to what kind of government will fill the void left by the toppled Assad regime.

HTS started life as a splinter group of al-Qaeda. Despite breaking away in 2016, it is still designated a terrorist organisation by the UK, US, UN and the EU – among many others.

Amid jubilation over the downfall of Assad, fears remain among some Syrians and observers overseas that HTS could turn the country into a new Afghanistan by implementing strict islamic law across the country, as the Taliban have done since their takeover in 2021.

Sharaa was asked about his plans by the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen, who interviewed him inside Assad’s presidential palace in Damascus which was left empty by the former dictator after he fled to Russia as the country fell to the rebels.