Uyghur Militants Threaten China After Toppling Assad, Beijing Calls for Stability

Dec 14, 2024, 12:10 PM

Uyghur fighters from the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), a militant group that played a role in the recent toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have vowed to turn their attention to China next. The group aims to 'liberate the Muslims of East Turkistan from the Chinese occupation.' This shift in focus comes after the collapse of the Assad regime, with TIP fighters now threatening Beijing in a video released on December 8. The TIP, which seeks to establish an Islamist Uyghur separatist state in Xinjiang, has been involved in conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan, gaining experience and potentially posing a new challenge to China's security. Beijing has expressed concern over the group's activities and has urged global action against Uyghur rebels, while also calling for stability in Syria.