Aslan Avgazarovich Byutukayev (), also known as Emir Khamzat and Abubakar (22 October 1974 – 20 January 2021), was a Chechen field commander in the

Islamic State The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...

(IS) Wilayah al-Qawqaz, the commander of the

Riyad-us Saliheen Brigade of Martyrs Riyad-us Saliheen (Russian: Риядус-Салихийн, also transliterated as ''Riyadus-Salikhin'', ''Riyad us-Saliheyn'' or ''Riyad us-Salihiin'') was the name of a small "martyr" (''shahid'') force of suicide attackers. Its original leader ...

and a close associate of the deceased

Caucasus Emirate The Caucasus Emirate (, IK; ), also known as the Caucasian Emirate, Emirate of Caucasus, or Islamic Emirate of the Caucasus, was a jihadist organisation active in rebel-held parts of Syria and previously in the North Caucasus region of Russia. It ...

leader

Dokka Umarov Doku Khamatovich Umarov (, ; ; 13 April 1964 – 7 September 2013), often known as Dokka Umarov, was a Chechen militant in the North Caucasus. Umarov was a major military figure in both wars in Chechnya during the 1990s and 2000s, before becom ...

. Byutukayev was listed as a

Specially Designated Global Terrorist A Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) is a person or entity that has been designated as such by the United States Department of State or the U.S. Department of the Treasury. An SDGT designation is made under authority of U.S. Executive ...

by the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

on 13 July 2016. He was killed by

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

special operatives in January 2021.

Biography

Until 2010, Emir Khamzat was a little-known field commander. In the summer of that year, there was a dispute between

and several commanders of the Chechen wing of the

. They were Tarkhan Gaziyev, Muhannad,

Aslambek Vadalov Aslambek Ilimsultanovich Vadalov (), also known by his nom de guerre ''Emir Aslambek'', is a Chechen rebel leader fighting in the North Caucasus. He was appointed the supreme leader of the Caucasus Emirate on 1 August 2010, though this was later ...

and

Khuseyn Gakayev Khuseyn Vakhaevich Gakayev (), also known as Emir Mansur (not to be confused with Amir Mansur, or Arbi Yovmurzaev, the Chechen nationalist commander killed in 2010)Said Buryatsky Said Buryatsky (10 February 1982 – 2 March 2010) was an Islamist militant leader in the North Caucasus. Buryatsky had been among the most-wanted men in Russia, and he was considered an ideologue leader of the Islamist terrorists in Chech ...

as leader of the Caucasus Emirate's unit of

suicide bomber A suicide attack (also known by a wide variety of other names, see below) is a deliberate attack in which the perpetrators knowingly sacrifice their own lives as part of the attack. These attacks are a form of murder–suicide that is ofte ...

s, the Riyad-us Saliheen. In January 2011, Byutukayev trained Magomed Yevloyev, the suicide bomber who carried out the bombing of

Moscow Domodedovo Airport Moscow Domodedovo International Airport ( rus, links=no, аэропорт Домодедово, p=dəmɐˈdʲɛdəvə) (International Air Transport Association, IATA: DME, International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO: UUDD), formally Domodedo ...

. Shortly before the bombing, Dokka Umarov, Byutukayev and Magomed Yevloyev filmed a video, claiming responsibility for the attack. In March 2011, it was reported that Aslan Byutukayev had been killed in an airstrike by

Russian Air Force The Russian Air Force () is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the latter being formed on 1 August 2015 with the merging of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the reb ...

Ingushetia Ingushetia or Ingushetiya, officially the Republic of Ingushetia, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. The republic is part of the North Caucasian Federal District, and shares land borders with the country o ...

, along with the deputy leader of the Caucasus Emirate,

Supyan Abdullayev Supyan Abdullaev (Russian: Супьян Абдуллаев; 8 November 1956 – 28 March 2011) was the vice president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. He was appointed to this position (vacant since the death of Shamil Basayev) on 19 March ...

. However, while the rebels confirmed the death of Abdullayev, the death of Byutukayev was denied. In June 2011, in a video released on the internet, a silent Byutukayev appeared at the side of Dokka Umarov, as the latter claimed responsibility for the assassination of

Yuri Budanov Yuri Dmitrievich Budanov ( rus, Ю́рий Дми́триевич Буда́нов, p=ˈjʉrʲɪj ˈdmʲitrʲɪjɪvʲɪdʑ bʊˈdanəf; 24 November 196310 June 2011) was a Russian military officer convicted for the kidnapping and murder of Elza ...

, a former Russian Colonel, who kidnapped, murdered and allegedly raped an 18-year-old Chechen girl during

Second Chechen War Names The Second Chechen War is also known as the Second Chechen Campaign () or the Second Russian Invasion of Chechnya from the Chechens, Chechen insurgents' point of view.Федеральный закон № 5-ФЗ от 12 января 19 ...

. In July 2011, at a meeting of the Caucasus Emirate's Sharia Court, Umarov appointed Byutukayev to his

deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...

in the newly created Western Sector of

Vilayat Nokhchicho The Province of Nokhchicho (, Вилаят Нохчийчоь, , , ) was the Chechen-based wing of the Caucasus Emirate organisation. It was created in 2007 as one of the Emirate's six vilayats, replacing the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Hist ...

. In May 2014, Byutukayev appeared in a video with a large number of field commanders of the Vilayat Nokhchicho, giving an

oath of allegiance An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to a monarch or a country. In modern republics, oaths are sworn to the country in general, or to the country's constitution. For ...

to the new head of the Caucasus Emirate, Aliaskhab Kebekov, who succeeded Dokka Umarov. Toward the end of 2014, the Caucasus Emirate became more active in their insurgent activities. On 5 October 2014, a

suicide bombing A suicide attack (also known by a wide variety of other names, see below) is a deliberate attack in which the perpetrators knowingly sacrifice their own lives as part of the attack. These attacks are a form of murder–suicide that is ofte ...

took place near the city hall of

Grozny Grozny (, ; ) is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2021 Russian census, 2021 census, it had a population of 328,533 — up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Russian Census, 2002 ce ...

. Five Russian police officers and the suicide bomber were killed. Another 12 people were wounded. Byutukayev also took responsibility for the 2014 Grozny clashes, during which 14 Russian policemen were killed and a total of 35 people wounded.

Disappearance and death

In June 2015, and following the death of Caucasus Emirate leader, Aliaskhab Kebekov, Byutukayev released an audio message, pledging allegiance to IS and its leader,

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri (28 July 1971 – 27 October 2019), commonly known by his ''nom de guerre'' Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was an Iraqi militant leader who was the founder and first leader of the Islamic State (IS), who proclaimed hims ...

. In 2016 according to reports he was hiding in Turkey, although this was unconfirmed. In January 2021, he and five militants were killed in Katyr-Yurt,

Chechnya Chechnya, officially the Chechen Republic, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federa ...

as a result of a special operation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Chechnya.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Byutukayev, Aslan 1974 births 2021 deaths 21st-century Russian criminals Caucasian Front (militant group) Caucasus Emirate members Chechen field commanders Chechen Islamists Fugitives Individuals designated as terrorists by the United States government Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant members Russian male criminals Russian people of Chechen descent