Ilyas Gorchkhanov

Ilyas Gorchkhanov also spelled Ilias Gorchkhanov was the first leader of the Ingush Jamaat, which later became part of the Caucasus Front's Ingushetian Sector in the Russian-held Caucasian Muslim state Ingushetia of the Second Chechen War. He was one of the commanders of the 2005 Nalchik raid in which he was killed.

Biography

Gorchkhanov was an ethnic Ingush and allegedly started his military career as a volunteer fighting in Chechnya. [ [http://www.jamestown.org/docs/Jamestown-VachagaevJamaat.pdf The Ingush Jamaat: Identity and Resistance in the North Caucasus] ] . 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. [ [http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2370033 Islam, Jamaats and Implications for the North Caucasus - Part 2] ] He was closely associated with the Yarmuk Jamaat in Kabardino-Balkaria and, together with Anzor Astemirov was the one of the first persons wanting to realize the Caucasus Emirate during the Chechen Wars. [ [http://www.kavkaz.org.uk/eng/content/2007/11/30/9148.shtml Astemirov takes credit for idea of Caucasian Emirate] ]

Death

In October 2005 he was one of the commanders of the 2005 Nalchik raid, a raid by a large group of militants on Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria and was killed during the battle. [ [http://www.chechenpress.info/events/2005/11/09/02.shtml Chechenpress ] ] . Some media dubbed him as the number one leader of the raid. [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9681595/ Russia says rebel assault over; toll tops 100] ] He was succeeded by Akhmed Yevloyev. [ [http://www.chechenpress.info/events/2005/11/09/02.shtml Памятные даты Второй русско-чеченской войны (октябрь 2005)] ]

References