All North-Caucasian militants swear to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, IS announces

All the militants of Northern Caucasus have sworn to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the "Islamic State", an organization recognized terrorist in a number of countries.

On June 21, an audio record was posted on YouTube to announce that militants of the structural units of the "Imarat Kavkaz", recognized in Russia as terrorist organization, had sworn to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. According to the audio record, all the militants of Vilayats of Dagestan, Nokhchicho (Ichkeria), Galgaiche (Ingushetia) and Kabarda, Balkaria and Karachay are united in the decision, and they have no disagreements concerning the issue.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that earlier, there have been reports that some leaders of North-Caucasian militants had sworn to the IS. Thus, Aslan Byutukaev, a commander of the battalion of suicide bombers "Riyad al-Salikhiyn", swore to the leader of the "Islamic State", recognized a terrorist organization, on behalf of all militants of Chechnya. He has stated that fact in an audio record posted on YouTube on June 12.

On December 19, 2014, YouTube posted an appeal of Abu-Mukhammad, the Amir of Dagestan, who stated he had sworn to the leader of the "Islamic State".

As far as the Ingush militants are concerned, there is information that their leaders have also sworn to the IS. According to the article "Caucasus Emirate torn apart by ISIL and Al-Qaeda", the Ingush militants' leaders sworn to the IS after February 8, 2014. The article from the Iranian newspaper "Iranian Diplomacy" was published on the website of the "Inosmi" on April 3, 2015.

According to the same article from the Iranian newspaper, only the Kabardino-Balkarian jamaat still remains faithful to the "Imarat Kavkaz". At present, the "Caucasian Knot" has no information about whether the leaders of Ingush and Kabardino-Balkarian militants have sworn to the IS or not.

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