The foreign fighters who helped topple Assad — and why China worries about them - NPR

New reporting shows thousands of Uyghurs became significant fighters against the Assad regime in Syria. The arrest of an Australian woman accused of traveling to Syria and joining Islamic State underscores that foreign fighters can include women and family groups who travel and later return, complicating reintegration and security responses. Beijing's concern about battle-hardened fighters returning with combat experience and networks is mirrored by the broader problem of tracking and managing diverse returnees.