Abu Hafs al-Urduni
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Abu Hafs al-Urduni (ابو حفص الاردني) (born Jordan, date unknown, died November 26, 2006) was a Mujahid commander fighting in Chechnya. After Abu al-Walid’s death, he assumed command of the Islamic Regiment. He was killed in Dagestan in November 2006.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Whatever little is known about al-Urduni, is know through the Russian media and therefore of questionable reliability. It is however fairly certain that his given name is Farid Yusef Umeira, that he was born in Jordan and that he participated in the Afghan-Soviet war and the Tajik Civil war along with Khattab and al-Walid. With the latter two he came to Chechnya in 1995 where he would remain until his death to wage Jihad against the Russian invaders in the Chechen Wars. He would also marry two Chechen women.[1]
[edit] Chechen Wars
In the First and Second Chechen War he fought in the Islamic Regiment under Khattab and, after Khattab’s death, as al-Walid’s deputy. After al-Walid’s death in 2004, al-Urduni succeeded him as commander of the regiment and issued a video statement about al-Walid’s death, much the same way as al-Walid had done with his own predecessor, Khattab. As commander of the Islamic Regiment, al-Urduni faced increasingly harsh conditions for himself and his unit of foreign fighters. Apart from the loss of their most prominent commanders and the relentless hunt for separatists by the Russian Federal Forces, funding for the Regiment had also become a major problem due to anti-terrorism measures restricting financial transactions.[1]
[edit] Links to al-Qaeda
The name of Abu Hafs al-Urduni is often mentioned in connection with al-Qaeda. Russian intelligence sources and media have repeatedly accused him of being al-Qaeda’s representative in the Caucasus.[2] His name is also found in a presentation of Colin Powell, then U.S. Secretary of State at the Security Council in February 2003, where al-Urduni is stated to be part of an international network headed by Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi.[3][4] In an interview with KazkazCenter Al-Urduni once expressed his sympathy with al-Qaeda and Osama bin-Laden, although he did not admit to being part of the organization.[5] On a different occasion he condemned the Beslan incident and denied personal involvement.[1] Whether or not he was an agent of al-Qaeda or if there are, or have been, any formal ties between the Islamic Regiment and al-Qaeda remains unclear.
[edit] Death
November 26, 2006, Abu Hafs al-Urduni was killed in a gunfight with Russian special forces in Khasav-Yurt, Dagestan. Russian sources claim the firefight lasted for four hours, and that four other rebels were killed in the encounter.[6] KavkazCenter later confirmed al-Urduni’s death, but claims only two other rebels were killed in the fighting.[7] December 9, 2006, Qoqaz News, the Chechen Mujahideen online news agency, reported that Muhannad had succeeded al-Urduni as commander of the Islamic Regiment.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c The Jamestown Foundation; ABU HAFS AND THE FUTURE OF ARAB FIGHTERS IN CHECHNYA
- ^ RIA Novosti; FSB confirms elimination of Al Qaeda's emissary in N. Caucasus -1
- ^ Colin Powell Slide 40
- ^ Colin Powell Slide 43
- ^ KavkazCenter; Abu Hafs: Youth Is Going Out For Jihad
- ^ RIA Novosti; Last aide to late warlord Khattab killed in Dagestan - FSB
- ^ KavkazCenter; Martyrdom of Abu Hafs Confirmed By Chechen Military Command
- ^ Site Institute; The Commander Muhannad Assumes the Leadership of the Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya Following the Death of Abu Hafs al-Urduni
