{"id":117030,"date":"2024-09-22T12:31:57","date_gmt":"2024-09-22T12:31:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/npasyria.com\/en\/?p=117030"},"modified":"2024-09-22T12:35:41","modified_gmt":"2024-09-22T12:35:41","slug":"uzbek-militants-deploy-in-syrias-afrin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/npasyria.com\/en\/117030\/","title":{"rendered":"Uzbek militants deploy in Syria’s Afrin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

AFRIN, Syria (North Press) \u2013<\/strong> North Press obtained on Sunday video footage showing militants of the Uzbek battalion alongside the Hamzat Division, affiliated with the Turkish-backed armed opposition armed factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), in Afrin region in Northwest Syria amid the military alert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A military source told North Press that the Hamza Division called upon “battle-hardened Uzbek mmilitants” from Idlib to participate in a potential fight with al-Jabha al-Shamiya (Levant Front). The source stated that these militants are currently stationed near the village of Kafr Janneh in the northeastern countryside of Afrin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The source said that the Uzbeks are coordinating with Saif Abu Bakr, leader of the Hamza Division, which is allied with the Sultan Suleiman Shah (al-Amshat) faction within the so-called “Joint Force.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This came amid the military alert in the area and ongoing disputes between Hamza Division and al-Jabha al-Shamiya following the Turkish decision to dissolve the Soqour al-Shamal (Northern Hawks) faction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that these two factions had previously collaborated with jihadists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, once known as Jabhat al-Nusra) and facilitated their passage into the Afrin area two years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In March 2022, the U.S. Department of State designated<\/a> Katibat al-Tawhid wal Jihad as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), and it also was added to the UNSC ISIS and Al-Qaida Sanctions List.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The al-Tawhid wal Jihad battalion, which includes Uzbek and Tajik militants, is one of the prominent Islamic factions fighting alongside the HTS. It joined the group in October 2015 after dozens of Uzbek militants entered Syria to take part in military operations against Syrian government forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Open sources indicate that the Uzbek militants are primarily stationed in the coastal mountains of Latakia Governorate, possessing high combat skills due to their participation in battles alongside jihadist groups in Afghanistan and other countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Siwar Hamo<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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