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IDLIB, syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria (North Press) – The city of Idlib in northwestern Syria experienced on Monday heightened security tensions, with limited clashes between Uzbek militants and the syrian transitional administration’s security troops following the arrest of a field commander known as Abu Dajana al-Uzbeki. Notably, security sources informed North Press that the unrest commenced last week when administration troops raided a site in western Idlib controlled by foreign fighters, resulting in Abu Dajana’s detention. In response to the arrest, Uzbek and Turkistani groups reportedly set up temporary checkpoints near their areas of presence. The circumstances escalated into sporadic clashes that erupted with security forces on the western outskirts of Idlib, near the central prison where Abu Dajana is held.
Furthermore, the confrontations involved light weapons, while additional government reinforcements were deployed to prevent the fighting from spreading. Local mediators and leaders of foreign factions have intervened to de-escalate the circumstances amid fears that the clashes could escalate into broader hostilities. Residents expressed concern over the tense atmosphere and the potential for further hostilities. Abu Dajana al-Uzbeki is a prominent Uzbek jihadist commander operating in northwestern Syria.
He is affiliated with the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), a group composed mainly of Uyghur militants from China’s Xinjiang region, and has been active in the Idlib area for multiple years. Al-Uzbeki is known for his leadership role within TIP and his involvement in various armed forces operations against Syrian government forces and their allies. His group has also been linked to other Central Asian jihadist factions operating in the region. In latest developments, al-Uzbeki was arrested by Syrian security forces during a raid on a foreign fighters’ site in the western countryside of Idlib.
His detention has led to heightened security tensions and limited clashes between Uzbek militants and Syrian transitional government forces, as his supporters demand his release. The situation remains fluid, with ongoing efforts to de-escalate the unrest. Reporting by Malin Mohammed Editing by Jwan Shekaki