Analysis and Assessments of Uyghur militancy in Syria

On May 14, US President Donald Trump met with Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Jaafari. During the meeting, President Trump made several requests to the Syrian leader, including the removal of all foreign terrorists from Syria. After the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the United States argued that the expulsion of foreign fighters from Syria was a fundamental prerequisite for the lifting of US sanctions. In March 2025, Washington formally requested their removal in a letter to Damascus. However, al-Sharaa continued to postpone action, insisting that foreign fighters who had helped defeat Assad deserved respect.

The formation of the 84th Division for foreign fighters

In March 2025, the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) published a revised version of its organisational charter, announcing a return to its original name, the East Turkestan Islamic Party (ETIP). This name change, apparently approved by the Afghanistan-based Leadership Shura, was intended to increase the visibility and appeal of the East Turkestan cause. The 22-page document, amended at the end of May 2025, serves as a comprehensive manifesto for the ETIP, including a historical overview of the organisation and a detailed list of objectives, strategies and policies. In April 2025, the general leader of the East Turkestan Islamic Party (then known as the Turkestan Islamic Party), Abdul Haq al-Turkistani, together with the Central Shura Commission, issued a statement emphasising that, although the TIP was originally formed in Afghanistan, it had gradually developed a strong organisational presence in Syria. The statement recognised Commander Abu Umar Kausar as the head of the Syrian branch.

On 18 May 2025, according to numerous sources, the Syrian Ministry of Defence integrated approximately 3,500 fighters from the Syrian branch of the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), a Uyghur jihadist group, into the ranks of the newly formed Syrian army (in reality, after consulting other local sources and colleagues, it appears that only 900 Uyghurs managed to be integrated into the ranks of the new army). The fighters from the Syrian branch of the TIP were assigned to the newly formed 84th Division, which is expected to be composed largely of Uyghur militants and other foreign fighters.