Experts: grouping "Ansar al-Sunna", which claimed responsibility for terror acts in Volgograd, was not earlier known in Caucasus

The grouping "Ansar al-Sunna", which claimed responsibility for the terror acts in Volgograd, was not earlier known for its actions in Northern Caucasus. This opinion was expressed by Alexei Malashenko. Akhmed Yarlykapov believes that the statement suggests serious transformations in the environment of the armed underground.

Let us remind you that the grouping "Ansar al-Sunna" has claimed responsibility for the terror acts committed in Volgograd. This was announced by the statement posted on January 18 at the websites supporting militants in Northern Caucasus.

The statement made by the grouping "Ansar al-Sunna" is "hardly worth to be taken seriously." This opinion was expressed by Alexei Malashenko, a member of the Scientific Council of the Moscow Carnegie Centre. "Why do they make such a statement with such a delay? I see no logic in this statement," Alexei Malashenko told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to him, he cannot remember any resonant event in Northern Caucasus associated with the organization under the same name. "I am not sure whether the grouping is known for its activities in Northern Caucasus," Alexei Malashenko has stated.

The name of the grouping and the fact that its members have claimed responsibility for the terror acts after a long time proves the transformation of the underground. This was stated by Akhmed Yarlykapov, Senior Research Officer at the Centre for Ethnology and Anthropology Research Institute of the RussianAcademy of Sciences (RAS). "We understand the situation lesser and lesser. Earlier, there was a direct communication between the then Ichkeria and the people, who made the website 'Kavkaz-Centre' abroad. At present, I believe there is no such direct communication. The facts of inventing those names and announcing involvement in the bombings prove major transformation in the underground network and the lack of direct communication with the Internet," the expert on the Caucasus has emphasized.