Dec 30

Dec 30 Uighur and Uzbek in Syria on which side were they fighting

Introduction

The Uighur and Uzbek fighters in Syria were primarily fighting on the side of rebel and jihadist groups against the Syrian government forces of Bashar al-Assad. Here are the key details about their involvement:

Uighur Fighters

The main Uighur militant group active in Syria is the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), also known as the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria or the “Turkistan Brigade” (Katibat Turkistani).

Leader of Uighur ( TIP ) party

Syrian Branch Leadership

For the Syrian branch of TIP, the following individuals have been mentioned in leadership roles:

Abu Omar al-Turkistani (described as a veteran Taliban member)

Abu Muhammad al-Turkistani (also a veteran Taliban member and military commander of TIP)

Leader of Uzbek Group in Syria

Two notable Uzbek leaders who have been prominent in Syria

Sirojiddin Mukhtarov (also known as Abu Saloh al Uzbeki):

Founder and original leader of Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (KTJ)

Established KTJ in Syria in 2014

Ordered the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan in 2016

Left KTJ in 2020 to join the al-Qaeda-aligned Jabhat Ansar al-Din and was subsequently arrested by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)

Abdul Aziz Khikmatov (also spelled Ilmurad Khikmatov):

Current leader of Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (KTJ)

Appointed as leader in 2019 after a unanimous vote by the group’s Shura council

According to the United Nations, he fought in Afghanistan for two decades and has a good relationship with the KTJ branch in Afghanistan

Able to coordinate finances between the Afghan and Syrian branches of KTJ

It’s worth noting that KTJ operates primarily in Idlib, Latakia, and Hama provinces in Syria, as well as having a presence in Afghanistan and Turkey. The group has been closely aligned with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and previously with al-Nusra Front

Key points about TIP:

Composed mainly of Uighurs from China’s Xinjiang province

Estimated 5,000+ Uighur fighters traveled to Syria

Fought alongside al-Qaeda-linked groups like Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra)

Participated in major battles, including:

2015 Idlib offensive

Fighting in northern Latakia

Battle for Aleppo in 2016

Uzbek Fighters

Uzbek militants also joined the fight in Syria, often cooperating with Uighur and other foreign jihadist groups.

Notable Uzbek group:

Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Tavhid va Jihod katibasi)

Motivations and Alliances

Both Uighur and Uzbek fighters were primarily aligned with Sunni jihadist factions opposing the Assad regime. Their motivations included:

Gaining combat experience and weapons training

Establishing connections with global jihadist networks

For some Uighurs, a long-term goal of fighting against China

Recent Developments

With the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024, TIP has renewed its focus on China

Released propaganda videos vowing to “liberate” Xinjiang (which they call East Turkistan)

Threatened to “chase the Chinese infidels away”

TIP leader Abd Haq al-Turkistani emphasized their commitment to fighting against Chinese control

Conclusion

It’s important to note that while these groups fought against Assad, they were not aligned with Western-backed moderate opposition forces. Their involvement has raised concerns about the potential for battle-hardened jihadists returning to their home countries or redirecting their efforts towards other conflicts.

Given the complex nature of the situation and the lack of specific information about plans for Uzbek fighters, it is difficult to predict whether they will go back to Uzbekistan in the immediate future. The government’s approach to non-combatant returnees suggests a willingness to address the issue, but the repatriation of fighters presents additional challenges that may take time to resolve.

Same situation is with Uighur fighters. They want to continue their fight with China from abroad which makes political situation very sensitive in Syria new government how to recognize them being terrorist Groups?

Does HTS plan to give both Uighur and Uzbek Syrian residency, which raises more concerns for the West, Middle East and of course China.

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