Arrest of Uzbek fighter sparks tensions in Idlib

Idlib city witnessed a state of security tension today after dozens of foreign fighters of Uzbek nationality gathered outside the Criminal Security branch in protest against the arrest of one of their members earlier in the morning.

According to local sources, the detained individual was arrested from the house where he resides in the Kafriya town in the Idlib countryside, prompting the armed men to assemble in front of the branch demanding his release.

The gathering coincided with a heightened security alert in the surrounding area, amid fears that the situation could escalate into clashes or further security unrest, while no official statement has yet been issued regarding the reasons for the arrest or the measures taken.

These Uzbek fighters entered Syria during the years of the Syrian conflict that began in 2011, joining factions linked to various organizations, including ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, among others. They formed units such as Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad and Katibat Imam al-Bukhari, and have fought alongside different armed groups across multiple fronts.

There are difficulties in determining their exact numbers due to secrecy and the integration of some of them into various armed groups under different names and similar national identities.

A-H 

ANHA