Uzbek fighters complicate makeover campaign by jihadi group in Idlib
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the dominant jihad group in Idlib, is seeking distance from the actions of Uzbek foreign fighters.
ALEPPO — Uzbek jihadis affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib have repeatedly attacked the positions of Syrian government forces on the Idlib fronts and killed a number of their elements.
HTS has yet to officially claim responsibility for these attacks, which raises many questions about the numbers and capabilities of these jihadis and the extent to which HTS controls their decisions and movements.
On Aug. 6, a group of Uzbek jihadis infiltrated a Syrian regime post in the village of Hantoutin in the southern countryside of Idlib and clashed with members of the regime forces, killing 10 and wounding others, according to sources on the ground. The three perpetrators of the attack were killed.
Meanwhile, Telegram accounts close to HTS, which controls Idlib, stated that the operation was carried out by Uzbek jihadis affiliated with HTS.
