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Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad

{{Short description|Jihadist militant organization in Syria}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}

{{Infobox militant organization

| name = Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad

| native_name = Uzbek: Tavhid va jihod katibasi

Kyrgyz: Катибат аль-Таухид ва аль-жихад

Arabic: كتاب التوحيد والجهاد

| native_name_lang = uz, ky

| logo =

| founder = Sirojiddin Mukhtarov{{KIA}}{{Cite web |date=12 September 2022 |title=Terrorist group's leader, native of Kyrgyzstan, killed by Russian forces in Syria |url=https://www.gfatf.org/archives/terrorist-groups-kyrgyzstan-russian/ |access-date=23 July 2023 |website=GFATF |language=en-US}} (nom de guerre: Abu Salah al-Uzbeki){{cite web|url=https://syriadirect.org/infighting-between-extremist-opposition-groups-reveals-tension-with-hts-rule-in-idlib/|title=Infighting between extremist opposition groups reveals tension with HTS rule in Idlib|last1=Christou|first1=Will|last2=Al Nofal|first2=Walid|date=25 June 2020|access-date=9 February 2025|work=Syria Direct}}

| leader = Ilmurad Khikmatov{{Cite web |last=غاروفالو |first=دانيلي |date=4 May 2022 |title=كيف أحدثت الحرب الروسية على أوكرانيا انقساماً في أوساط الجهاديين؟ |url=https://www.akhbaralaan.net/news/special-reports/2022/05/04/%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%AB%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%82%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%8B-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D9%88%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%8A%D9%86 |access-date=23 July 2023 |website=أخبار الآن |language=ar}}

| dates = 2014–present

| country = Syria

| allegiance = * {{flagicon|Al-Qaeda}} Al-Qaeda{{Cite news |title="Катибат аль-Таухид ва аль-жихад"- "Аль-Каиданын" Борбор Азиядагы идеялык мураскору |language=ky |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/kyrgyz/world-43947029 |access-date=8 October 2023}}

  • {{flagicon image|InfoboxHTS.svg|25px}} Tahrir al-Sham{{Cite news |title=Борбор азиялык жихадчылар "Аль-Каидага" ант беришти |language=ky |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/kyrgyz/world-47025212 |access-date=8 October 2023}}

| ideology = * Jihadism

| attacks =

| size = 80-100 in Afghanistan (UN report){{cn|date=January 2025}}


200-500 in Syria{{cn|date=January 2025}}

| allies = * {{flagicon image|Imam Bukhari Jamaat flag.svg|25px}} Imam Bukhari Jamaat

  • {{flagicon image|Flag of Taliban.svg|25px}} Afghanistan (Taliban){{Cite web |title=The Transformation of Central Asian Jihadists in Syria |url=https://thediplomat.com/2017/02/the-transformation-of-central-asian-jihadists-in-syria/ |access-date=23 July 2023 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}}
  • Ajnad al-Kavkaz
  • {{Flagicon image|Flag of the Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria.svg}} Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria
  • {{flagicon image|Flag of the Al-Nusra Front.svg|25px}} Al-Nusra Front{{Cite web |last=Merlo |first=Mike |title=Uzbek group pledges allegiance to Al Nusrah Front |url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/09/uzbek-group-pledges-allegiance-to-al-nusrah-front.php |access-date=23 July 2023 |website=FDD's Long War Journal |date=30 September 2015 |language=en-US}}
  • {{flagicon|Al-Qaeda}} Al-Qaeda

| opponents = * {{flag|Ba'athist Syria}} (until 2024)

| war = {{tree list}}

{{tree list/end}}

| designated_as_terror_group_by = * {{Flag|United States}}

  • {{Flag|Uzbekistan}}

| flag = 120px

}}

Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad ({{Langx|uz|Tavhid va jihod katibasi}}, {{Langx|ky|Катибат аль-Таухид ва аль-жихад|translit=Katibat al'-Taukhid va al'-zhikhad}}, {{Langx|ar|كتائب التوحيد والجهاد|Kitā'ib al-tawḥīd wa-al-jihād}}) is an Uzbek/Kyrgyz jihadist militant organization based in Syria.

History

The group was established in Syria in 2014 by Sirojiddin Mukhtarov,{{Cite web |title=Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad (KTJ) |url=https://www.counterextremism.com/armed-opposition-groups-nw-syria/katibat-al-tawhid-wal-jihad-ktj |access-date=23 July 2023 |website=Counter Extremism Project |language=en}} and consists of mostly Uzbek and Kyrgyz nationals.{{Cite web |title=Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad |url=https://trackingterrorism.org/group/katibat-al-tawhid-wal-jihad/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=22 July 2023 |website=TRAC}}

In 2015 the group, with the help of Al-Nusra Front and Ajnad al-Kavkaz, attempted to establish a de facto state in northwestern Syria.{{Cite web |last=Lin |first=Christina |date=11 October 2015 |title=A buffer zone for Erdogan's Turkic settlements in Syria? |url=https://asiatimes.com/2015/10/a-buffer-zone-for-erdogans-turkic-settlements-in-syria/ |access-date=24 July 2023 |website=Asia Times |language=en-US}} This was all after the fighting in Idlib province, specifically in the town of Jisr ash-Shughur.{{Cite web |last= |date=19 April 2022 |title=Who is Katibat al-Tawhid wa-l-Jihad? |url=https://stj-sy.org/en/who-is-katibat-al-tawhid/ |access-date=24 July 2023 |website=Syrians for Truth and Justice |language=en-US}}

In 2016 the group bombed the Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan, under Mukhtarov's orders.{{Cite web |date=6 September 2016 |title=ГКНБ: Установлены организаторы и исполнители взрыва в посольстве Китая в Бишкеке |url=https://svodka.akipress.org/news:1327985 |access-date=24 July 2023 |website=Сводка АКИpress}} Three people were arrested and sentenced for aiding and abetting the bombing.{{Cite news |date=28 June 2017 |title=Kyrgyzstan Sentences Three Over Chinese Embassy Attack |language=en |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-china-embassy-jailed/28583623.html |access-date=24 July 2023}}

In 2019 the group hired hitmen to kill Aierken Saimaiti, a man who exposed a large money laundering scheme.{{Cite web |title='His Murder Is Necessary': Man Who Exposed Kyrgyz Smuggling Scheme Was Hunted By Contract Killers |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/man-who-exposed-kyrgyz-smuggling-scheme-was-hunted-by-contract-killers/30940261.html |access-date=24 July 2023 |website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty |language=en}} Also in 2019, the groups Shura council voted unanimously to replace Mukhtarov with Ilmurad Khikmatov.{{Cite web |last=Botobekov |first=Uran |date=19 April 2019 |title=Uzbek's Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad changed its leader |url=https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2019/04/19/uzbeks-katibat-al-tawhid-wal-jihad-changed-its-leader/ |access-date=24 July 2023 |website=Modern Diplomacy |language=en-US}}

In 2021 two of the head propagandists of the organization were arrested in the town of Tanzim after attempting to recruit Uzbek school children to go to Syria to fight for the group.{{Cite web |last= |date=24 January 2022 |title=Халқаро терроризм тарафдорлари узоқ муддатга озодликдан маҳрум этилди |url=https://uza.uz/uz/posts/halqaro-terrorizm-tarafdorlari-uzoq-muddatga-ozodlikdan-mahrum-etildi_340159 |access-date=24 July 2023 |website=Uza.uz |language=uz}}

In 2022 the United States designated the group a terrorist organization.{{Cite news |title=US designates Syrian al-Qaeda-linked group as 'Global Terrorist' |language=en-US |work=The Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-700599 |access-date=24 July 2023}} Also the same year, in September, Mukhtarov, the original founder of the organization, was killed in a targeted airstrike by the Russian Air Force.{{Cite web |last=Kudryavtseva |first=Tatyana |date=10 September 2022 |title=Militant leader, native of Kyrgyzstan Sirojiddin Mukhtarov killed in Syria – |url=https://24.kg/english/244571_Militant_leader_native_of_Kyrgyzstan_Sirojiddin_Mukhtarov_killed_in_Syria/ |access-date=24 July 2023 |website=24.kg |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Минобороны заявило об убийстве лидера группировки «Катиба Таухид валь-Джихад». Ее обвиняли в причастности к теракту в петербургском метро |url=https://meduza.io/news/2022/09/10/minoborony-zayavilo-ob-ubiystve-lidera-gruppirovki-katiba-tauhid-val-dzhihad-ee-obvinyali-v-prichastnosti-k-teraktu-v-peterburgskom-metro |access-date=8 October 2023 |website=Meduza |language=ru}}

In 2023, a foreign supporter of the group in Philadelphia attempted to build an IED in order to bomb certain targets in support of the group.{{Cite web |last1=Macaulay |first1=Jessica |last2=Bailey |first2=Wakisha |last3=Corrado |first3=Kerri |last4=Snyder |first4=Dan |date=15 August 2023 |title=FBI, Philadelphia DA charge teen in terrorism probe |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/fbi-in-philadelphia-17-year-old-terrorism-arrest/ |access-date=25 September 2023 |website=CBS News |language=en-US}} The group supplied the materials overseas.{{Cite web |last1=Roebuck |first1=Jeremy |last2=Palmer |first2=Chris |date=14 August 2023 |title=Philadelphia teen accused of buying and testing bomb-making materials in support of foreign terror group |url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-terrorism-qawi-abdul-rahman-katibat-al-tawhid-wal-jihad-20230814.html |access-date=25 September 2023 |website=The Philadelphia Inquirer |language=en}}

In September 2024 it was reported that militants from the group were operating in the Afrin Region and reinforcing the Hamza Division, working closely with its head, Sayf Bulad, in advance of anticipated fighting with the Levant Front.{{Cite web |date=22 September 2024 |title=Uzbek militants deploy in Syria's Afrin |url=https://npasyria.com/en/117030/ |access-date=9 February 2025|language=en-US|work=North Press Agency}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{Militant Islamism in the Middle East}}

Category:2014 establishments in Syria

Category:Anti-ISIL factions in Syria

Category:Jihadist groups in Syria

Category:Organizations based in Asia designated as terrorist

Category:Organizations designated as terrorist by the United States

Category:Salafi Jihadist groups