Chechen warlord Doku Umarov's personal bodyguard was killed in clashes between rebels and law enforcement officers in Ingushetia, a rebel web site said Friday.
Chechen-born Supyan Abdullayev was the closest companion of Umarov, Russia's most-wanted man, Kavkazcenter.com reported. He fought against the Russians in two Chechen separatist wars.
Abdullayev was killed during a March 28 raid of a rebel training camp in Ingushetia during which the Air Force was employed, a rare occurrence in such clashes. He was one of 17 rebels killed by law enforcement officers. Three officials were also killed.
"Supyan trained hundreds of young mujahedin in warfare, Islam and jihad," Movladi Udugov, considered a powerful idealogue of the insurgency, wrote on Kavkazcenter.com
The web site posted pictures of Abdullayev, smiling and sporting a flowing ginger beard that was beginning to gray.
It remained unclear Sunday whether Umarov also died in the attack. The March 28 raid was aimed at finding suspects linked to the January suicide-bombing attack on Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, which killed 37 people. Umarov has claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a separate development, three militants in Dagestan were killed by officers Friday, Interfax reported, citing investigators.
A decade after federal forces drove separatists out of power in the second of two wars in Chechnya, the mainly Muslim North Caucasus is plagued by violence, and the insurgency is gaining in numbers and spreading in scope. The North Caucasus' proximity to the Black Sea coastal town of Sochi, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, is of particular concern for the Kremlin, which has vowed to beef up security for the event.
(Reuters, MT)
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
