Kataib al-Khoul, also known as the Ossetian Jamaat and Vilayat Iriston (russian: Вилайят Иристон, Vilayyat Iriston; os, Вилайят Ирыстон, Vilajyat Iryston), was a militant
Islamist organization connected to numerous attacks against the local and federal security forces in the
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n region of
North Ossetia–Alania
The Republic of North Ossetia–Alania; os, Республикӕ Цӕгат Ирыстон — Алани, ''Respublikæ Cægat Iryston — Alani'', ) is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. Its population acco ...
in the
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus, ( ady, Темыр Къафкъас, Temır Qafqas; kbd, Ишхъэрэ Къаукъаз, İṩxhərə Qauqaz; ce, Къилбаседа Кавказ, Q̇ilbaseda Kavkaz; , os, Цӕгат Кавказ, Cægat Kavkaz, inh, ...
. It was part of the
Caucasian Front of the
Second Chechen War
The Second Chechen War (russian: Втора́я чече́нская война́, ) took place in Chechnya and the border regions of the North Caucasus between the Russia, Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, from Augus ...
. Its existence inside a republic which is largely
Russian Orthodox
Russian Orthodoxy (russian: Русское православие) is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, whose liturgy is or was traditionally conducted in Church Slavonic language. Most ...
had led to denial by officials who refused to recognise that an Islamic insurgency group existed in Ossetia, and instead blamed the attacks on the
Ingush Jamaat
Vilayat Galgayche (russian: Вилайят Галгайче, Vilayyat Galgayche; inh, Вилаят ГӀалгӀайче, Vilayat Ghalghayche), was an Islamist militant organization connected to numerous attacks against the local and federal sec ...
.
[
The Ossetian Jamaat, closely associated with the separatist conflict in nearby ]Chechnya
Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...
, was established by Alan Digorsky, better known as Emir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...
Saad. Its existence was first mentioned in March 2006 after increased insurgency in parts of North-Ossetia. The group announced that it fought in favor of Chechnya's independence and was integrated into the Caucasian Front by the decree of the then President of Ichkeria
The president of Ichkeria, formally the president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria was the head of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria from 1991 to 2007, the Islamic Republic that existed until the victory of the Russian Federation in the Secon ...
, Sheikh Abdul Halim
Abdul-Halim Abusalamovich Sadulayev ( ; Chechen: Сайд-Iелийн Абусаламин кІант Iабдул-Хьалим, ''Sadulin Abusalamin-Kant Abdulhalim''; Russian: Абдул-Халим Αбусаламович Сайдулае ...
. Since the proclamation of the Caucasus Emirate
The Caucasus Emirate ( ce, Имарат Кавказ, Imarat Kavkaz, IK; russian: Кавказский эмират, Kavkazskiy emirat), also known as the Caucasian Emirate, Emirate of Caucasus, or Islamic Emirate of the Caucasus, was a Jihadist ...
in 2007, Kata’ib al-Khoul had similar goals to other Islamic nationalist insurgent groups in the region, as it sought to end Russian control of North Ossetia and establish an Ossetian Islamic state
An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
called Iriston.
Kataib al-Khoul claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in North Ossetia. It claimed responsibility for the February 2006 bombings in casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
s and gambling
Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three el ...
clubs in the center of Vladikavkaz
Vladikavkaz (russian: Владикавка́з, , os, Дзæуджыхъæу, translit=Dzæwdžyqæw, ;), formerly known as Ordzhonikidze () and Dzaudzhikau (), is the capital city of the North Ossetia-Alania, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Ru ...
, the capital of North Ossetia, which resulted in the closure of all the gambling clubs and casinos in the republic, as well as a number of assassinations and acts of sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...
, including the May 2006 downing of a military helicopter near Vladikavkaz that resulted in the death of 15 Russian soldiers (among them several high-ranking military officials), the March 2008 assassination of the head of North Ossetia's anti-organized crime unit Mark Metsayev, and the November 2008 assassination of the Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of Vladikavkaz Vitaly Karayev.Mayor of North Ossetia Capital Shot Dead
/ref>
On 12 May 2009, Emir of the Caucasus Emirate Dokka Umarov
Doku Khamatovich Umarov ( ce, Ӏумар Хьамади кӀант Докка, translit='Umar Ẋamadi khant Dokka, ; russian: Доку Хаматович Умаров, Doku Khamatovich Umarov; 13 April 1964 – 7 September 2013), also known as ...
issued a communique subsuming the rebel structures active in North Ossetia into the Emirate's Vilayat Galgaycho
Vilayat Galgayche (russian: Вилайят Галгайче, Vilayyat Galgayche; inh, Вилаят ГӀалгӀайче, Vilayat Ghalghayche), was an Islamist militant organization connected to numerous attacks against the local and federal sec ...
subdivision.
References
External links
Kata'ib al-Khoul Aliases: Jamaat Kataib al-Khoul, Kataeb al-Ghoul, Kataib al-Khoul, Kataib al-Khoul Jamaat
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kataib Al-Khoul
Caucasian Front (militant group)
Islamism in Russia
Islamist groups
North Ossetia–Alania