The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), a Uyghur militant group active in Syria for over a decade, has vowed to carry its fight against China after playing a role in the rebel offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The group issued a video on December 8, the day the Syrian regime collapsed, in which its fighters declared their intent to target China in the future.

TIP declares intent to fight in Xinjiang

In the video, TIP fighters, clad in military fatigues and armed with machine guns, celebrated their role in Syria and outlined their future plans.

"Here in Syria, we fight for Allah, and we will continue to do this in our Urumchi, Aqsu, and Kashgar in the future," a masked fighter said, referencing cities in China’s Xinjiang region, home to the Uyghur population. He added, "Allah has given us victory here. May He also grant us victory in our own land."

The group, using the name "East Turkistan" for Xinjiang, reiterated its goal of "liberating" the Uyghur homeland from what it calls "Chinese occupation."

TIP role in Syrian rebel offensive

TIP has been based in Syria since fleeing Chinese oppression in the 1990s, aligning with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist faction leading the Syrian rebel offensive. Recent TIP videos showcased its fighters on the frontlines in November 2024 and rolling into Damascus on tanks with their blue crescent-and-star flags.

The group claims to have entered key Syrian port cities, Latakia and Tartus, in mid-December. These areas, which previously hosted Russian forces, hold strategic importance along Syria's coastline.

"With the help of Allah, we have fought our way here without retreat or fear," a TIP fighter proclaimed.

Historical grievances

TIP’s leadership has long framed their struggle as part of a larger fight against oppression in Xinjiang. In a December 6 statement, TIP emir Abd Haq al-Turkistani vowed to attack China, describing Uyghurs in Xinjiang as living under "filthy, oppressive occupation."

"The Chinese disbelievers will soon taste the same torment that Assad’s regime has faced," he declared.

TIP propaganda often invokes historical grievances, such as the 1990 Baren Uprising, when thousands of Uyghur protesters were killed by Chinese authorities. The group’s media also depicts Chinese President Xi Jinping with blood-splattered imagery and highlights the persecution of Uyghurs, including forced re-education camps and suppression of religious practices.

China's response and TIP’s capabilities

Beijing has long emphasized TIP’s activities to justify its crackdown on Uyghurs, though experts debate the group’s actual strength. Some argue TIP is overstated and lacks the cohesion and firepower to pose a significant threat to China.

While TIP’s latest propaganda suggests an active presence, its ability to organize and execute attacks against China remains uncertain. However, Beijing’s extensive overseas investments and infrastructure projects, key to its foreign policy, may present targets for TIP’s operations.

China, boasting the world’s largest military and advanced weaponry, is likely to request TIP member extraditions from Syria. However, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani has stated his commitment to protecting foreign fighters within Syria.

"These fighters face persecution in China and have nowhere else to go. They are welcome here as long as they abide by our rules," he said in 2020.

Despite its stated ambitions, TIP’s long-term strategy remains unclear. While some hardline factions could splinter off, the group’s propaganda suggests gratitude toward its Syrian hosts and a focus on their shared Islamist agenda.

"We are the mujahideen of East Turkistan," a masked fighter declared during a recent congregation at a mosque in Latakia. "The Chinese government drove us out of our country, oppressed us, and killed us. Here, we have found goodness over the past 10 years."

Agencies