Sayfiddin Tajibayev, indicted in Tajikistan on suspicion of “involvement in terrorist acts” and “participation in foreign wars,” was promoted to a senior position in the new Syrian army, according to Arab media.
The 41-year-old Tajik is known as the commander of the Jama’at al-Tawhid wa al-Jihad (JTJ) military wing, which fought alongside Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) during the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad government. Tajik bloggers close to the HTS reported on social media on 3 January that Tajibayev had become Qaid Amaliyat fil-Livo, or head of the Operational Headquarters.
A source in Tajik law enforcement agencies also revealed on Sunday that Tajibayev and his brother had been fighting in Syria alongside “terrorist groups” since 2013. According to local media, he was one of six foreign fighters given a position in Syria’s reshaped defence ministry.
Turkey is currently working with the HTS to establish a post-war Syria, having threatened to send troops to prevent any possible partition of Syria backed by the Kurdish militants.
Before leaving for Syria, Tajibayev was a member of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT), which was recognised as a terrorist organisation in 2015. It is not known whether he obtained Syrian citizenship under the new Syrian government.
Tajik officials said that over 2,000 Tajiks travelled to Syria and Iraq between 2014 and 2017. Most of them joined ISIS and then shifted to different groups.
