At theSyrian 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 formedMinistry of Defense.[12] The Syrian branch of TIP was officially integrated into the Syrian Army's84th Division, a unit mostly recruited from non-Syrians.[4]
Flag of the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria used in 2017. Following thefall of the Assad regime the group has returned to using their blue flag[23]
The TIP (Chinese called ETIM) sent the "Turkistan Brigade" (Katibat Turkistani), also known as the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria to take part in theSyrian Civil War, most noticeably in the2015 Jisr al-Shughur offensive.[24][25] Long War Journal reported in 2015 that Turkistan Islamic Party, alongside other foreign fighters like Chechen and Uzbek militants, had ties to 'The Network' (Al-Qaeda).[26]
In 2014, Ibrahim Mansour, a Turkistan Islamic Party official, toldAnadolu Agency that "Uyghur Muslim families in China would rather live under the flames of war in Syria than endure oppression and persecution by the Chinese authorities in East Turkestan". Mansour stated at the time that they fought alongside the Free Syrian Army and had no ties to al-Qaeda, emphasizing that "our fight is against the Bashar al-Assad regime".[27]
InJisr 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.[28] The Uzbek groupKatibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Tavhid va Jihod katibasi) released a video featuring themselves and the Uyghur Turkistan Islamic Party attacking and desecrating Christian Churches inJisr al-Shughur.[29][30][31] 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.[32] The Saudi news agencyAl-Arabiya said that the area was Alawite.[33][34]
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".[35]
In 2017, the Turkistan Islamic Party held a military parade in Syria, displaying dozens of military vehicles andT-62 tanks, threatening China.[27]
Now here in Syria, in all the cities here, we fight for Allah, and we will continue to do this in ourUrumchi,Aqsu andKashgar 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.[23] TIP fighters entered the strategic port cities of Latakia and Tartus on 10 and 11 December.[23] The TIP has promised that now that the Syrian Civil War is over, that they will focus on fighting the Chinese government.[23]
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 formedMinistry of Defense.[12] Fighters from the Turkistan Islamic Party participated in the2025 massacres of Syrian Alawites. According toReuters, TIP carried out many of the attacks.[36]
In early 2025, theUnited States government demanded that TIP and other foreign militias should be removed from Syria, but theSyrian transitional government stalled and argued that foreign fighters had to be treated with respect due to their role in overthrowing Assad. Finally, US President's envoy has given its blessing to a plan by Syria's new leadership to incorporate thousands of foreign jihadist former rebel fighters into the Syrian army.[37] On 18 May, the Syrian branch was TIP was integrated into Syrian Army's 84th Division, a newly created unit which was largely recruited from foreign volunteers. The TIP ex-commanderAbdulaziz Dawud Hudaberdi (alias "Zahid") was promoted to brigadier general in the Syrian military.[4]
Camps training children for Jihad were being run by the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria.[39][40][41] Uyghur child soldiers being instructed in Sharia and training with guns were depicted in a video released by TIP.[42]
Top commanderAbu Omar al-Turkistani, who also served as the group's first overall leader, was killed in an Americandrone strike inSarmada,Idlib on 1 January 2017. His replacement leader, Abu Rida al-Turkistani, was then killed in a series of Russianairstrikes on his home near the town ofAriha 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.
^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."
