Uyghur jihadist militancy in Syria

For about a decade, thousands of Uyghurs have left China and gone to fight and live in Syria. Here, they have formed new groups, or in some cases created branches of existing groups, and after several years of independent activity, have first aligned and then integrated with the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and are an integral part of the HTS offensive against the Assad regime.

This analysis aims to shed light on the most important Uyghur jihadist groups and their propaganda messages.

Through a careful study of these jihadist groups, the author also attempts to show that anti-China groups present a complex picture in terms of their structures and stated goals.

Which anti-Chinese jihadist groups are active?

Three jihadist groups are currently active in Syria: the Syrian branch of the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), Yurtugh Tactical and Katibat Ghuraba al-Turkistan (now known as Katibat Mujaheddin Ghuraba Division). The three groups will be briefly examined below.