Law enforcers name nine Chechen residents fighting in Syria

In Chechnya, law enforcers have identified other nine Chechen residents fighting in Syria. Besides, two former participants of the armed conflict in Syria have been detained in Grozny.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in June 2013, the Chechen leaders admitted that a number of from several hundred to 1700 natives of the republic is involved in the war in Syria.

According to the FSB, militants from Russia fight in Syria and Iraq on the side of the proclaimed "Islamic State" (IS, earlier ISIL). This was stated by a report "Natives of Caucasus as members of the ISIL" prepared by the "Caucasian Knot". The activities of the "Islamic State" are banned in the country by the Supreme Court, and it is declared to be a terrorist organization.

According to the spokesman of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) for Chechnya, out of nine detected participants to the armed conflict in Syria, "one is in the country since 2013". The remaining eight persons left for Syria to fight in summer and autumn of past year.

Movsar Beluev, the oldest man of them, is 39 years old, and Mansur Saidulaev, the youngest of them, is 20 years old.

The MIA spokesman has added that criminal cases were instituted against Tamerlan Dokaev and Imran Elzhurkaev, two former participants of the armed conflict in Syria, who were detained in Grozny in this February.

"19-year-old Tamerlan Dokaev was in Syria since the autumn of 2014 till this February. 27-year-old Imran Elzhurkaev took part in the combat actions in Syria yet in 2013. Both of them returned to the Chechen Republic via Turkey and were detained at home," the MIA spokesman has added.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.