Controversy continued to follow Hassoun when he issued a fatwa (religious ruling) on SANA, Syrian state-owned television, ordering the military to express their rage by exterminating all Syrians in the besieged and divided city of Aleppo.

Until his death, Zahran Alloush remained one of the most controversial figures in the Syrian war. Despite the objections and suspicions many Syrians had about his approach, he was still seen by many as a gallant leader.