What motivated Chinese-born Uyghers to fight in Syria's civil war

NPR | By Emily Feng,

Nishant Dahiya, Hannah Bloch

Published May 17, 2026 at 5:45 PM EDT

Thousands of Chinese-born Uyghur fighters fled China to fight in the Syrian civil war. They say generations of political persecution in China motivated them to take up arms.

NPR News

Emily Feng

Emily Feng is NPR's Beijing correspondent.

See stories by Emily Feng

Nishant Dahiya

Hannah Bloch

Hannah Bloch is lead digital editor on NPR's international desk, overseeing the work of NPR correspondents and freelance journalists around the world.

See stories by Hannah Bloch

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