Ratmir Erikovich Shameyev (russian: Ратмир Эрикович Шамеев), also known as Emir Zakariya, was a Kabardin

Mujahid ''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...

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 ...

(commander) fighting 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, ...

Militant Activity

According to Russian law enforcement officials, Shameyev's militant career began in May 2010 when he was involved in a skirmish with local security forces. Traveling in a car with fellow militants, the vehicle exploded and Shameyev lost his right eye but was still able to escape his pursuers; this was seen as an act of God by other militants of the North Caucasus, and Shameyev's profile grew considerably. Following the incident Shameyev took to wearing the eye-patch which would become his trademark. In the summer of 2010 Shameyev was identified as the Emir of the Chegem sector west of

Nalchik Nalchik (russian: Нальчик, p=ˈnalʲtɕɪk; Kabardian: //; krc, Нальчик //) is the capital city of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Russia, situated at an altitude of in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains; about northwe ...

, but he would then be promoted to Emir of the entire southwestern sector 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 ...

's Vilayat of Kabarda, Balkaria and Karachay. Known as a "brilliant and charismatic orator" who had been "lionized" on North Caucasian jihadist websites, Shameyev and Asker Dzhappuyev - the overall leader of the United Vilayat KBK - were the "putative masterminds" behind a 12-month killing spree that resulted in the deaths of dozens of police and local government officials in Kabardino-Balkaria, including republican

mufti A Mufti (; ar, مفتي) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatwas'' played an important rol ...

Anas Pshikhachev as well as respected Circassian ethnographer Aslan Tsipinov.

Death

Shameyev was killed by Russian security forces in the village of Progress,

Stavropol Krai Stavropol Krai (russian: Ставропо́льский край, r=Stavropolsky kray, p=stəvrɐˈpolʲskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (a Krais of Russia, krai) of Russia. It is geographically located in the North ...

on 29 April 2011. It has been speculated that the 7 April 2011 capture of two of the United Vilayat's support personnel in Progress may have led to the intelligence that revealed Shameyev's safehouse and resulted in his death just weeks later. Two women and seven other militants also died in the gun battle, including Dzhappuyev (also known as Emir Abdullakh), Emir of the KBK Northeastern sector Kazbek Tashu (Abdul Jabbar), Aslanbek Khamurzov (Abdul Ghafoor), Deputy Emir Abdul Jabaar, Tamerlan Dyeshkov, Albek Kokarev, and Zalim Kunov. The operation resulted in the virtual decapitation of the insurgency leadership in Kabardino-Balkaria.

References

External links

Image of Shameyev's Corpse Released by Russian Security Officials
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shameyev, Ratmir 1988 births 2011 deaths Caucasus Emirate members Guerrillas killed in action