19:01, 29 July 2020

Argun native suspected of involvement in IS in Syria

War in Syria. Photo: REUTERS/Khalil Ashaw

A resident of Chechnya went to Syria and joined militants there, investigators have suggested.

They are investigating a criminal case against a resident of Chechnya suspected of involvement in the activities of militants in Syria, a source from the Investigating Department for Chechnya of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to investigators, the 36-year-old A. Abkarov left for Syria, and is now a member of the "Islamic State" (IS, or ISIL), a terrorist organization banned in Russia by the court.

According to the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), since the start of the war in Syria and up to March this year, about 800 residents of the republic have left for the Middle East to join the IS; 724 of them have been put on the international wanted list. The MIA has noted that the overwhelming majority of residents of Chechnya who fought in Syria have perished.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 29, 2020 at 09:41 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: CK correspondent