Uzbeks in Syria and Iraq: The Ghost of Arabophilia in Uzbekistan by Saida Dariyeva

Source: IWPR

Uzbeks in Syria and Iraq: The Ghost of Arabophilia in Uzbekistan

Saida Dariyeva

Currently, more than a dozen militants claiming to be from Uzbekistan are actively covering events in Syria on social media. These individuals are assumed to be members of the Katiba Tawhid wal-Jihad group, which primarily comprises Uzbek fighters. So far, the Uzbek authorities have opened two criminal cases against individuals involved in militant activities in Syria.

Most of the militants appearing in these videos are between 30 and 40 years old. On camera, they declare that participating in the Syrian conflict and achieving martyrdom are their ultimate goals. Speaking in Uzbek, they claim to have long prepared for the overthrow of the Assad regime.

There is no verified information regarding where and with whose support the Uzbeks prepared for the ongoing conflict in Syria. Similarly, the total number of Uzbek fighters who have participated in the conflict remains unknown.

Reports suggest that the Katiba Tawhid wal-Jihad group, composed of Uzbeks, participated in efforts to overthrow the Assad regime as part of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. On December 8, they reportedly captured Damascus, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee the country. This event marked the end of the Assad dynasty’s more than 50-year reign. Bashar al-Assad governed Syria for 24 years, while his father, Hafez al-Assad, ruled for nearly 30 years.

Currently, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham—designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Russia, and several other countries—is attempting to form a new government in Syria.

Since November 20, at least 15 Uzbek militants have posted on social media. It is believed that some of these individuals are natives of Uzbekistan, while others are ethnic Uzbeks from Kyrgyzstan.Videos shared online depict militants with various weapons. Prior to the regime's overthrow, these fighters were reportedly based in regions of Syria controlled by anti-Assad forces. 

For instance, an Uzbek militant who appeared on social media recently introduced himself as Saifuddin, the commander-in-chief of Katiba Tawhid wal-Jihad. He stated that his group was operating in Idlib Province in northwestern Syria. According to information gathered from the social media posts of Uzbek militants and sources from Ozodlik, approximately 200 Uzbek militants have participated in battles against Assad’s forces, most of whom identify as members of Katiba Tawhid wal-Jihad.

Currently, two known groups of Uzbek militants operate in Syria and Iraq: Katibat al-Imam al-Bukhari and Katiba Tawhid wal-Jihad.

Between 2012 and 2017, Katibat al-Imam al-Bukhari was considered the largest group of Uzbek militants in Syria. On March 22, 2018, the United States added the group to its global terrorist blacklist.

Founded by Akmal Jurabaev, a native of Uzbekistan’s Namangan region known by the alias Sheikh Salahiddin, Katibat al-Imam al-Bukhari played a prominent role in Syria’s rebellion against Assad. Jurabaev was killed in April 2017, and following his death, internal conflicts led to the group’s disintegration. Some of its fighters joined other militant groups, while others merged with local populations in Syria and Turkey.

The Katiba Tawhid wal-Jihad group was founded in 2013 in Syria by Sirojiddin Mukhtarov, also known as Abu Saloh al-Uzbekiy, a native of Kyrgyzstan’s Osh region. Initially based in Syria and Iraq, the group recruited fighters mainly from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, maintaining ties with international terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda. In February 2017, it joined Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formed after Jabhat al-Nusra severed ties with Al-Qaeda.

The Uzbek authorities have prosecuted two nationals involved in armed actions against the Syrian government. One is Davlat Tillaberdiyev, a native of Jizzakh, who reportedly joined Katiba Tawhid wal-Jihad in 2019 after being influenced by the group in Turkey. He is currently facing charges under Uzbekistan's Criminal Code, including terrorism-related offenses, and faces a lengthy prison sentence.

The second individual is Khudoyor Nuriddinov, a 30-year-old from the Ferghana region. Known as Abu Walid on social media, he was radicalized in Russia before traveling to Syria in 2016. Nuriddinov continues to propagate jihad online, with his content banned in Uzbekistan.

Uzbek authorities have intensified their efforts to curb militant recruitment and participation in terrorist organizations. Lawyer Mukhsinjon Madaminov noted that individuals linked to terrorist groups are actively prosecuted, with Uzbekistan leveraging tools like Interpol to address the threat.

Since President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s rise to power, Uzbekistan has witnessed improvements in religious freedoms, such as the ability to pray openly in mosques and access Arabic language courses. However, this period has also seen a rise in Arabophilia among certain segments of the population. Trends include young people adopting militant-like appearances, growing interest in Arabic names, frequent Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages, and calls for the establishment of a Sharia state.

Additionally, the Taliban’s return to power in neighboring Afghanistan has fueled enthusiasm among some groups, who praise their strict Sharia policies and criticize women’s freedoms in Uzbekistan.

To counter these developments, the Uzbek government has implemented initiatives like Operation Mehr, which repatriates women and children from camps in Syria and Iraq while promoting educational campaigns to curb radicalization. Despite these efforts, the growing trend of Arabophilia, coupled with covert training and recruitment activities, poses a significant risk to the region’s stability. Without stricter measures, this could escalate into a severe crisis in the future.