Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya
( _ar. المجاهدين العرب في الشيشان)


caption= Flag of Jihad and Coat Of Arms of the ChRI
dates= 1995-present
allegiance= Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
Caucasus Emirate since 2007
type= Infantry
size=
battles= First Chechen War
Second Chechen War
commander1= Ibn al-Khattab 1995-2002
Abu al-Walid 2002-2004
Abu Hafs al-Urduni 2004-2006
Muhannad 2006-present
commander1_label= Emirs

The Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya ( _ar. المجاهدين العرب في الشيشان) ( _ru. Арабские моджахеды в Чечне) is a unit of International Mujahideen fighting in Chechnya and other parts of the North Caucasus. It was created by Ibn al-Khattab in 1995 during the First Chechen War, where it fought successfully against the Russian Federation in favor of Chechnya's independence as the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Since the outbreak of the Second Chechen War it had important part in further Chechen resistance.

Name

The unit has been known by several names throughout it’s existence. Examples include the Mujahideen in Chechnya, the Islamic Regiment, the Islamic Battalion, the Arabs in Chechnya and the Ansaar in Chechnya. The term 'Arab Mujahideen' is often used by one of the rebels' official media outlets, Kavkaz Center. Although the core if the unit has always consisted of Arab volunteers, a large number of its members are in fact non-Arab (most notably Turkish) and some trace their ancestry to the Caucasus. It is not to be confused with the Special Purpose Islamic Regiment (SPIR), al-Qaeda’s 055 Brigade or the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade (IIPB).

History

Foreign Mujahideen have played an important part in both Chechen wars. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent Chechen declaration of independence, foreign fighters started entering the region and associated themselves with Chechen rebels, most notably Shamil Basayev with whom Khattab build up a friendship. Many of them were veterans of the Soviet-Afghan war and prior to the Russian invasion, they used their expertise to train the Chechen separatists. During the First Chechen War they were notorious and feared for their guerilla tactics, inflicting severe casualties on the badly prepared Russian forces. The mujahideen also made a significant financial contribution to the separatists’ cause; with their access to the immense wealth of Salafist charities like al-Haramein, they soon became an invaluable source of funds for the Chechen resistance, which had little resources of its own.

After the withdrawal of Russian forces from Chechnya most of the mujahideen decided to remain in the country, including Khattab who married a woman from Dagestan. In 1999, foreign fighters played an important role in the Invasion of Dagestan. Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev and Khattab had created the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade which was composed of Chechen Arab and Dagestani fighters. The invasion was started in support of the Shura of Dagestan separatist rebels. After the battle they retreated back into Chechnya. The incursion provided the new Russian government with a pretext for intervention and in December 1999 Russian ground forces invaded Chechnya again.

Since the outbreak of the Second Chechen War the Arab Mujahideen played another important part, both for delivering fighters and their financial contributions. It was during this time that the Russians succeeded in eliminating the most prominent mujahideen commanders Khattab and Abu al-Walid. They were both succeeded and Chechnya remains a popular destiny for Mujahideen in the Arab World.

Structure

The battalion is mostly composed of Arab and Turkish Jihadists. It's first Emir (leader) was Ibn Al-Khattab who was killed in March 2002 and succeeded by Abu al-Walid, who was killed in April 2004. His succesor became Jordanian-born Abu Hafs al-Urduni who was killed in November 2006. He was succeeded by Muhannad who is currently leading the Islamic Battalion. The brigade has many smaller units of Mujahideen commanded by their respective Emirs.

External links

* [http://www.kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2006/12/12/6803.shtml Commander Muhannad Assumes the Leadership of Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya]