Two videos have been posted to YouTube confirming the loyalty of the former leaders of the Chechen and Ingushetian sectors of the Caucasus Emirate (IK) to the Islamic State (IS).
In the first video – 1 minute 47 seconds long and dated 1 Shaban 1436 (19 May 2015) – Aslan Byutukayev (Khamzat), the former emir of the IK’s Nokhchiycho Wilayah (Chechen Province), reaffirmed his pledge of bayat to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Byutukayev’s statement consisted primarily of formulaic statements about shared goals and obeying al-Baghdadi as long as he adheres to the Koran and the Sunnah, and offered nothing by way of insight into future goals and strategy. Its greatest significance is in dispelling any lingering doubts anyone might have entertained about the authenticity of Byutukayev’s previous pledge, a June audio address that dealt the IK a critical blow (see my previous post, The Future of the North Caucasus Insurgency). Continue reading “Chechen, Ingushetian Emirs Confirm Allegiance to Islamic State”