Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria

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Turkistan Islamic Party
الحزب الإسلامي التركستاني
Leaders
Dates of operation2011 – 2025 (as a militia)
MotivesTo establish an Islamic state in Xinjiang and the entirety of Central Asia, eventually a caliphate [4]
Headquarters Jisr al-Shughur, Idlib Governorate, Syria [5] [6]
Active regions Idlib Governorate, Idlib Governorate,
and Aleppo Governorate, Syria
Ideology Sunni Islamism
Jihadism
Islamic fundamentalism
Pan-Islamism
Uyghur nationalism
Anti-Russian sentiment
Anti-Chinese sentiment
StatusDissolved, joined Syrian Army [7]
Size~4,000 [8] [9]
Part of
Allies
Opponents
Battles and wars Syrian civil war

The Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria (TIP) [a] was the Syrian branch of the Turkistan Islamic Party, an armed Uyghur Jihadist group with a presence in the Syrian Civil War. While the TIP has been active in Syria, the organization's core leadership was based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with a presence in its home territory of China. [17]

Contents

At the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference, which was held on 29 January 2025, most factions of the armed opposition, including the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria, announced their dissolution and were incorporated into the newly formed Ministry of Defense. [7]

History

Flag of the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria used in 2017. Following the Fall of the Assad regime the group has returned to using their blue flag Flag of the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria.svg
Flag of the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria used in 2017. Following the Fall of the Assad regime the group has returned to using their blue flag

TIP (ETIM) sent the "Turkistan Brigade" (Katibat Turkistani), also known as the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria to take part in the Syrian Civil War, most noticeably in the 2015 Jisr al-Shughur offensive. [19] [20] Long War Journal reported in 2015 that Turkistan Islamic Party, alongside other foreign fighters like Chechens and Uzbek militants, had ties to Al-Qaeda network. [21]

In Jisr al-Shughur a Church's cross had a TIP flag placed on top of it after the end of the battle as a victory mark. [22] The Uzbek group Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Tavhid va Jihod katibasi) released a video featuring themselves and the Uyghur Turkistan Islamic Party attacking and desecrating Christian Churches in Jisr al-Shughur. [23] [24] [25] Jabhat al Nusra and Turkistan Islamic Party fighters were accused of displacing Christian residents of rural Jisr al-Shughour, and reportedly killed a Syrian Christian man along with his wife, accusing them of being Syrian government agents. [26] The Saudi news agency Al-Arabiya said that the area was Alawite. [27] [28]

Turkistan Islamic Party has exploited the Turkish Postal Service and Turkish banks to solicit donations via the organization "Türkistan İslam Derneği" through the website "Doğu Türkistan Bülteni". [29]

Fall of Assad regime

The group participated in the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives which culminated in the Fall of the Assad regime. Shortly afterwards, the group uploaded a video stating: [18]

Now here in Syria, in all the cities here, we fight for Allah, and we will continue to do this in our Urumchi, Aqsu and Kashgar in the future. We will chase the Chinese infidels away

At the same time the group uploaded a video with their leader, Abu Muhammed alongside their battalion, using the blue flag of the Turkistan Islamic Party, instead of the black flag the group had previously been using. [18] TIP fighters entered the strategic port cities of Latakia and Tartus on 10 and 11 December. [18] The TIP has promised that now that the Syrian Civil War is over, that they will focus on fighting the Chinese government. [18]

At the event on 29 January 2025 declaring the victory of the Syrian revolution, most factions of the armed opposition including the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria announced their dissolution and were incorporated into the newly formed Ministry of Defense. [7]

Child soldiers

Camps training children for Jihad were being run by the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria. [30] [31] [32] Uyghur child soldiers being instructed in Sharia and training with guns were depicted in a video released by TIP. [33]

Route into Syria

According to the Jamestown Foundation, Turkish connections were used by Uyghur fighters to go into Syria and the humanitarian Uyghur East Turkistan Education and Solidarity Association (ETESA) which was located in Turkey sent Uyghurs into Syria, endorsed the killing of the pro-China Imam Juma Tayir, applauded attacks in China, and posted on its website content from the TIP. [34]

Its top commander Abu Omar al-Turkistani who also served as the group's first overall leader was killed in an American drone strike in Sarmada, Idlib on 1 January 2017. His replacement leader Abu Rida al-Turkistani was then killed in a series of Russian airstrikes on his home near the town of Ariha on 12 January 2017 leaving his entire family dead as well. [2] Ibrahim Mansour succeeded Abu Rida al-Turkistani as the third leader of TIP since then.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Arabic: الحزب الإسلامي التركستاني في سوريا, romanized: Ḥizb al-Islāmī al-Turkistānī Fī Sūriyyā Turkish: Türkistan İslam Partisi, Chinese :突厥斯坦伊斯兰党

References

  1. ↑ Caleb Weiss (14 February 2017). "Uighur jihadist fought in Afghanistan, killed in Syria". Long War Journal . Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  2. 1 2 "مقتل قياديٍ في الحزب الإسلامي التركستانيٍ جراء غاراتٍ روسيةٍ بإدلب · Micro Syria ميكروسيريا". Archived from the original on 13 January 2017.
  3. 1 2 @arslan_hidayat (6 January 2025). "Major General Abdulaziz Dawood (Zahid) has been newly appointed as 'Emir' of the Turkistan Islamic Party's (TIP) Sham (Syria) Branch" (Tweet). Retrieved 14 January 2025– via Twitter.
  4. ↑ Sami Moubayed (29 September 2015). Under the Black Flag: At the Frontier of the New Jihad. I.B.Tauris. pp. 161–. ISBN   978-0-85772-921-7.
  5. 1 2 "TIP Division in Syria Releases Video Promoting Cause, Inciting for Jihad". SITE Institute. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  6. ↑ turkistanhaber (6 February 2016). "Türkistan İslam Cemaati'nden Yeni Video " Zafer Sadece Allahtan'dır 2 " |". Doguturkistanbulteni.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "Syrian Leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa Delivers 'Victory Speech,' Outlines Syria's Future Roadmap, Announces Dissolution Of Ba'ath Party, Armed Factions Into New 'Syrian Army'; Military Operations Command Declares Al-Sharaa President Of Syria During Transitional Phase". MEMRI. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  8. ↑ AP Exclusive: Uighurs fighting in Syria take aim at China. Associated Press. 22 December 2017. "Uighur activists and Syrian and Chinese officials estimate that at least 5,000 Uighurs have gone to Syria to fight — though many have since left. Among those, several hundred have joined the Islamic State, according to former fighters and Syrian officials."
  9. ↑ team, Reality Check (22 June 2019). "Syria: Who's in control of Idlib?". BBC News.
  10. ↑ Zelin, Aaron Y. "New video message from al-Muhājirūn: "The Return of Jaysh al-Fataḥ" | JIHADOLOGY: A clearinghouse for jihādī primary source material, original analysis, and translation service". Jihadology.net. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  11. ↑ "China's Counter-Terrorism Calculus". Jamestown.
  12. ↑ "Beijing, Kunming, Urumqi and Guangzhou: The Changing Landscape of Anti-Chinese Jihadists". Jamestown. Jamestown Foundation. 23 May 2014.
  13. ↑ Zenn, Jacob (10 October 2014). "An Overview of Chinese Fighters and Anti-Chinese Militant Groups in Syria and Iraq". China Brief. 14 (19). The Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  14. ↑ Lin, Dr Christina (September 2015). "Turkey's Double Standard on Terrorism" (PDF). ISPSW Strategy Series: Focus on Defense and International Security.
  15. 1 2 "Syrian rebels pour men and missiles into frontlines". The Fiscal Times. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ↑ Barić, Joško (13 March 2018). "Syrian War Daily – 13th of March 2018". Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  17. ↑ "Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria shows more 'little jihadists' | FDD's Long War Journal". FDD's Long War Journal. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Yan, Sophia (13 December 2024). "Uyghur fighters in Syria vow to come for China next". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  19. ↑ Weiss, Caleb (23 April 2015). "Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria involved in new Idlib offensive". Long War Journal.
  20. ↑ Weiss, Caleb (30 April 2015). "Turkistan Islamic Party had significant role in recent Idlib offensive". Long War Journal.
  21. ↑ Joscelyn, Thomas (29 September 2015). "US counterterrorism efforts in Syria: A winning strategy?". Long War Journal.
  22. ↑ Zelin, Aaron Y. (1 May 2015). "Ṣawt al-Islām presents a new video message from Ḥizb al-Islāmī al-Turkistānī [Turkistan Islamic Party] in Bilād al-Shām: "Conquest of Jisr al-Shaghūr"". JIHADOLOGY.
  23. ↑ "Al-Qaeda-Aligned Central Asian Militants in Syria Separate from Islamic State-Aligned IMU in Afghanistan". Jamestown.
  24. ↑ "Syriancivilwararchive.com". syriancivilwararchive.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  25. ↑ "Modern Tokyo Times – Tokyo News and International News".
  26. ↑ "إعدام رجل وزوجته بريف جسر الشغور واتهامات لفصيل إسلامي بتنفيذ الإعدام • المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان". 14 January 2016.
  27. ↑ Hage, Mohanad (2 March 2016). "China's proxy war in Syria: Revealing the role of Uighur fighters". Al Arabiya English. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  28. ↑ "China's proxy war in Syria: Revealing the Uighur fighters' role". Saudi Gazette. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  29. ↑ Rodeheffer, Luke (20 September 2016). "Turkish Organizations Exploited in Terror Finance Scheme". Flashpoint - BUSINESS RISK INTELLIGENCE. Flashpoint. Archived from the original on 10 March 2017.
  30. ↑ Weiss, Caleb (4 September 2015). "Saudi al Qaeda cleric showcases training camp for children in Syria". Long War Journal.
  31. ↑ "TIP Division in Syria Releases Photos of Fighters, Camp for Children | Jihadist News". news.siteintelgroup.com. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  32. ↑ "TIP Division in Syria Releases Video Photo Album Featuring Young Boys in Training Camp | Jihadist News". news.siteintelgroup.com. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  33. ↑ Roggio, Bill; Weiss, Caleb (24 September 2015). "Uighur jihadist group in Syria advertises 'little jihadists'". Long War Journal.
  34. ↑ Zenn, Jacob (10 October 2014). "An Overview of Chinese Fighters and Anti-Chinese Militant Groups in Syria and Iraq". China Brief. 14 (19). The Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
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