Imam Shamil Battalion

For the Volunteer Separatist Battalion in the Ukrainian International Legion, see Imam Shamil Dagestan Battalion (Ukraine).
Imam Shamil Battalion
Leaders Sirozhiddin Mukhtarov (POW)[1]
Dates of operationApril 2017 – 2019
HeadquartersNorth Caucasus, Russia
Active regionsNorth Caucasus, Russia
Ideology
Size100 (according to the (CFR)[3]
Part of al-Qaeda
Allies Tahrir al-Sham
Turkistan Islamic Party
OpponentsState opponents

Non state opponents

Battles and wars2017 Saint Petersburg metro bombing, Insurgency in the North Caucasus, Islamic State insurgency in the North Caucasus

The Imam Shamil Battalion (Arabic: كتيبة الإمام شامل, romanized: Katiba Al Imam Shamil, Russian: батальон имама Шамиля) was a militant Islamist organization in Russia. It is a North Caucasus affiliate of Al-Qaeda.[4][5][6]

The name of the group is in reference to Imam Shamil, a Muslim leader from Dagestan that fought an invasion by the Russian Empire during the Caucasian War, and was the third Imam of Caucasian Imamate.[7][8]

  1. ^ "Jihadist group confirms arrest of Uzbek commander". www.longwarjournal.org. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  2. ^ Hudson, Valerie M.; Leidl, Patricia (30 June 2015). The Hillary Doctrine: Sex and American Foreign Policy. Columbia University Press. p. 154. ISBN 9780231539104. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  3. ^ Hoffman, Bruce (6 March 2018). "Al-Qaeda's Resurrection". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Shadowy 'al-Qaeda' group claims responsibility for St Petersburg bombing". alaraby.co.uk. 26 April 2017. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  5. ^ Ariel, Ben (26 April 2017). "Al-Qaeda-linked group claims St. Petersburg attack". Israel National News. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Imam Shamil Battalion claims Russia metro bombing". Gulf-Times (in Arabic). 25 April 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  7. ^ Gary Hamburg, Thomas Sanders, Ernest Tucker (eds,),Russian-Muslim Confrontation in the Caucasus: Alternative Visions of the conflict between Imam Shamil and the Russians, 1830-1859, RoutledgeCurzon 2004 pèassim
  8. ^ Malise Ruthven,'Terror:The Hidden Source, in New York Review of Books October 24, 2013 pp.20-24, p.20.