Ilyas Gorchkhanov
Ilyas (Ilias) Gorchkhanov (1967[1] – 13 October 2005) was the first leader of the Ingush Jamaat, which later became part of the Caucasus Front's Ingushetian Sector in Ingushetia of the Second Chechen War.
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Gorchkhanov, an ethnic Ingush, allegedly started his military career as a volunteer fighting in Chechnya.[2] When the Ingush Jamaat started getting shape, he became the leader of the Nazran unit and was later often cited as the leader of the entire Jamaat.[3] He was closely associated with the Yarmuk Jamaat in Kabardino-Balkaria and, together with Anzor Astemirov, was one of the first persons wanting to realize the Caucasus Emirate during the First and Second Chechen Wars.[4]
In October 2005 Gorchkhanov was one of the commanders of the 2005 Nalchik raid, an attack by a large group of militants on Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, during which he was killed in action;[5] some media reports dubbed him as the leader of the raid.[6] After Gorchkhanov's death, Akhmed Yevloyev succeeded him as the leader of the Ingush Jamaat.[5]
References
- (in Russian) На Нальчик готовилось напасть 240 боевиков
- The Ingush Jamaat: Identity and Resistance in the North Caucasus
- Islam, Jamaats and Implications for the North Caucasus - Part 2
- Astemirov takes credit for idea of Caucasian Emirate
- (in Russian) Памятны a е даты Второй русско-чеченской войны (октябрь 2005)
- Russia says rebel assault over; toll tops 100