Abu Salah al-Uzbeki
Sirojiddin Mukhtarov (1990 – 8 September 2022),[1] commonly known by his nom de guerre Abu Salah al-Uzbeki, was the head of the Ansar al-Din Front in Syria[2] and was the founder of Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (KTWJ).
Life
[edit]Al-Uzbeki headed KTWJ, which he formed in 2013, until he was deposed in 2019.[3] As head of KTWJ, he reaffirmed his bay'ah to Al Qaeda in January 2019.[4]
Al-Uzbeki was given the title sheikh by various jamaats from Central Asia, given his knowledge of Islam; he had studied "fiqh... and hadith" in Damascus in the 2000s. He was also known as Hafiz, as he had memorized the Quran. In contrast, his successor, Ilmurad Khikmatov, also known as Abdul Aziz, was known as ustoz or damlo, meaning teacher, and was not as well-versed in Islamic studies.[5]
He and 50 other fighters defected from Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and joined the Ansar al-Din Front.[6]
The So Be Steadfast Operations Room was formed in June 2020 by Hurras al-Din, Ansar al-Din Front, Jihad Coordination and the Ansar Fighters Brigade,[7] as well as Ansar al-Islam.[6] His arrest on 16 June 2020[8] led to infighting between HTS and other militant groups.[9] Al-Uzbeki was released in March 2021, after serving nine months.[10]
Al-Uzbeki was reportedly killed in a Russian air raid on Idlib on 8 September 2022, though his death was denied by HTS.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "Terrorist group's leader, native of Kyrgyzstan, killed by Russian forces in Syria". GFATF. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Vanessa Beeley (2 December 2024). "On the Ground in Syria: Terrorist groups, Turkish threats & Russian overtures". Substack. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Uran Botobekov (19 April 2020). "Uzbek's Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad changed its leader". Modern Diplomacy. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Uran Botobekov (2 May 2019). "Central Asian Salafi-Jihadi and Al Qaeda: From Bayat to Global Jihad". CACI. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Uran Botobekov (10 September 2023). "The Evolution of an al-Qaeda Affiliate: Unmasking Notorious Uzbek Leader Abdul Aziz Domla of Katibat al-Tawhid wal Jihad". Homeland Security Today. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ a b Uran Botobekov (10 July 2020). "Top Uzbek Jihadist Leader Suffers for Loyalty to Al Qaeda". Modern Diplomacy. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Aaron Y. Zelin (9 September 2020). "Living Long Enough to See Yourself Become the Villain: The Case of Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Caleb Weiss (17 June 2020). "Hay'at Tahrir al Sham reportedly arrests Uzbek jihadist leader". Long War Journal. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ "Striving for Hegemony: The HTS Crackdown on al-Qaida and Friends in Northwest Syria". Jihadica. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Aya Ezz (22 March 2021). "Abu Saleh al-Uzbeki: Terrorist who turned against Tahrir al-Sham". The Portal Center. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Hussam al-Mahmoud; Hassan Ibrahim; Khaled al-Jeratli (29 November 2022). ""Jihadists" under grip of "jihadists"". Enab Baladi. Retrieved 1 January 2025.