Caucasian armed groupings not to leave IS after death of Umar al-Shishani, experts believe

The death of Tarkhan Batirashvili has become a serious loss for the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS), banned in Russia, and Islam Atabiev (Abu Jihad) will not be able to become his successor. This opinion was voiced by the experts questioned by the "Caucasian Knot". However, according to the experts, after the death of Umar al-Shishani, the armed groupings, consisting of natives of the Caucasus, will not leave the IS shaken by internal crises.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 13, the IS announced the death of Umar al-Shishani in Iraq. Residents of the Pankisi Gorge confirmed his death.

Joanna Paraschuk, a journalist from the British Analytical Centre "HIS Janes", suggests that the IS will try to "to make a hero of Umar Al-Shishani after his death to recruit new supporters."

According to Joanna Paraschuk, Islam Atabiev will not be able to become a successor of Tarkhan Batirashvili, since he is not a fighter, but an agitator.

Orkhan Djemal, a special correspondent of the "Dozhd" (Rain) TV Channel, suggests that at present, the IS includes "an extremely radical grouping, guilty of the terror act committed in Istanbul in June."

The IS "is experiencing a major ideological crisis." This was claimed by a source, who recently visited the territory in Syria controlled by the IS. According to the source, many IS supporters are now leaving the terrorist organization.

The terror act in Istanbul has intensified the split in the ranks of the natives of Chechnya, involved in hostilities in Syria. This opinion was expressed by Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya, the project director for Russia and Northern Caucasus of the International Crisis Group (ICG).

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