Russian forces kill Caucasus Emirate’s commander for Dagestan

Emir-Salih.jpg

Emir Saleh (Ibragimkhalil Daudov). Image from Kavkaz Center.

The Islamic Caucasus Emirate announced that Russian troops killed Emir Saleh (Ibragimkhalil Daudov), the terror group’s governor of Dagestan and the military commander of the Dagestani front. Saleh’s death was announced yesterday by VDagestan, a jihadist site linked to the Caucasus Emirate, and was subsequently translated by Kavkaz Center, another media outlet for the Caucasus Emirate, as follows:

The news of the martyrdom of the DF Emir Saleh distributed by invaders’ media had received confirmation from the Command of the Mujahideen of Province of Dagestan.

Our Emir Saleh received his long-awaited martyrdom. We mourn him as we mourn every worthy son of the Ummah and Dagestan. May Allah accept his martyrdom and his deeds.

And let his blood be shed as a barakah for the blessed jihad in the Caucasus. And let him be yet another brick in the building of the Islamic State on the territory of the Caucasus Emirate.

Although VDagestan/Kavkaz Center did not provide the exact date of Saleh’s death, four terrorists were killed in the village of Gurbuki in Dagestan by Russian forces on Feb. 10, according to RIA Novosti.

Saleh was appointed by Doku Umarov, the emir of the Caucasus Emirate, as both the “Governor” of Dagestan and the “Commander of the Dagestani Front of the Caucasus Emirate’s Armed Forces.” Saleh replaced Emir Sayfullah, who was the terror group’s top judge was well as its leader in Dagestan before he was killed in August 2011.

Saleh may have been replaced by a Turk known as Sheikh Abdusalam, according to the Russia Eurasia Terror Watch (RETWA):

Authorities believe a Turkish “mercenary” identified as “Sheikh Abdusalam” has likely been picked by Dagestani fighters to replace Ibragim Khalil Daudov, Amir of the Dagestani Front, killed earlier this week (see RETWA reporting). Abdusalam was Daudov’s deputy.

Life News reports that Abdusalam underwent training at a camp for terrorists in Turkey and came to the North Caucasus five years ago.

Al Qaeda commanders are known to serve in senior leadership positions with the Caucasus Emirate [see LWJ report, Russians kill top Caucasus Emirate leader, for more information].

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

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3 Comments

  • mike merlo says:

    “Abdusalam underwent training at a camp for terrorists in Turkey.” I wonder what the Turks have to say about that?

  • David Verbryke says:

    Every death of the highest leaders of al-Qai’da’s “franchises” and its demonic surrogates brutalizes the worldview of al-Qai’da’s lieutenants worldview, who contrary to their propaganda, they do not want a man-made death. I don’t like the savage Russians and I truly feel that the average Chechens suffer, but these religious lunatics hurt their cause. I am glad this man has been sent to Allah and His 72 virgins.

  • W. C. Taqiyya says:

    I like that Russia is also burdened with terrorists. In Syria, a slight detour from the topic, we should quietly encourage the Arabs and Turks to continue supplying the rebels in Syria. When Bashar Assad falls, the Russians and Iranians will lose their only Mediterranean port and Hezbollah will lose its principal backers. Giving Russia a black eye never hurts, eh? Plus, the uglier the Russians look to the Arabs the less likely they are to jump back into bed with them. No wonder the Russians are screaming for a cease fire in Syria, Putin really likes that Mediterranean Port. Now, I have to watch helplessly as Obama screws this up.

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