Uyghur Mercenaries Helped Syrian Rebels Oust Assad After 13-Year Civil War
Updated
Updated · NPR · May 25
Uyghur Mercenaries Helped Syrian Rebels Oust Assad After 13-Year Civil War
9 articles · Updated · NPR · May 25
Uyghur fighters from China emerged as key partners for Syrian rebels, helping the alliance that brought down Bashar al-Assad and secured victory in Syria's civil war.
Family persecution in China drove many of the Uyghurs, who joined the fight seeking revenge and became trusted battlefield allies for rebel forces.
Their role fed directly into the rise of Syria's new president, whose camp ultimately converted rebel gains into the war's decisive outcome.
The account highlights how foreign militants shaped the final phase of Syria's 13-year conflict, linking China's repression of Uyghurs to events on a distant battlefield.
Are Uyghur fighters in Syria national heroes, or has one conflict simply created seeds for the next?
Having won a foreign war, can thousands of Uyghur fighters now build a new life and culture in Syria?
Will Syria's new government shield its Uyghur victors or trade them to China for political gain?