Syria launches security raids on Uzbek fighters following unrest

Syrian security forces have arrested several Uzbek fighters during a security operation in the country’s northwest following protests outside a government facility in Idlib, as reported by Asharq Al-Awsat with agencies on May 7th.

The tensions reportedly began after authorities attempted to detain an Uzbek militant accused of opening fire in Idlib city. The move sparked demonstrations by armed Uzbek fighters who demanded the suspect’s release, escalating concerns over government control in the region.

Security forces later carried out raids across parts of the Idlib countryside, including the towns of Kafriya and al-Foua, targeting Uzbek fighters believed to have participated in the protests. Witnesses reported military convoys and reinforcements moving into the area, while sporadic gunfire was heard during the operation.

Officials did not confirm how many fighters had been arrested. Syria’s Interior Ministry has not publicly commented on the incident.

The confrontation highlights the continuing challenge facing Syria’s government as it seeks to impose state authority over foreign militants who travelled to the country during the civil war that erupted in 2011.

According to a Syrian security source cited by Reuters last year, around 1,500 Uzbek fighters are believed to remain in Syria, with some living alongside their families.

The latest unrest marks the second major clash in recent months involving foreign militants in Idlib. Last October, tensions emerged around a camp near the Turkish border linked to French extremist Omar Diaby, also known as Omar Omsen.

Damascus has increasingly attempted to formalise the status of foreign fighters by integrating thousands into the structure of the newly formed Syrian army. Reuters previously reported that the United States supported a Syrian proposal to absorb roughly 3,500 foreign fighters — many of them Uyghurs from China and neighbouring states — into an official military division.

Supporters of the plan argue that bringing foreign fighters under state oversight is safer than leaving them outside government control.

The developments come as Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa continues to strengthen ties with Washington, with Damascus joining a US-led coalition against ISIS last November.

Asharq Al-Awsat with agencies, Maghrebi.org