Syria Denies Plans to Hand Over Uighur Fighters to China

DAMASCUS – Syria intends to hand over jihadist fighters from China’s Uighur minority to Beijing, two sources told AFP on Nov 17, but the foreign ministry in Damascus denied the report.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani was on his frist visit to China on Nov 17.

Since ousting longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad nearly a year ago, Syria’s new Islamist authorities have sought to break with their jihadist past and rebuild the country’s diplomatic presence after years of international isolation.

Jihadists from China’s Uighur Muslim minority traveled to Syria after war erupted in 2011, mostly as part of the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), which was active in Idlib province and allied with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamists who led the offensive that ousted Assad.

the issue of the Uighur fighters was expected to be on Mr.Shaibani’s agenda in Beijing, a Syrian government source told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that “based on China’s request, Damascus intends to hand over the fighters in batches.”

China refused the fighters’ integration into the new Syrian army, the source added.

A diplomatic source in Syria, also requesting anonymity, told AFP that “Syria intends to hand over 400 Uighur fighters to China in the coming period.”

After AFP published its report,state news agency Sana quoted a foreign ministry source denying it.

“AFP’s report regarding the Syrian government’s intention to hand over fighters to China is without foundation,” the source said without elaborating, according to Sana.