Ajnad al-Kavkaz

Ajnad al-Kavkaz
Participant in Syrian Civil War
Flag of Ajnad al-Kavkaz.
Active	2015[1]–present
Ideology	Sunni Islamic fundamentalism Jihadism[2] Anti-Russian[1][2] North Caucasus separatism[1]
Leaders	Abdul Hakim Shishani[3] (overall emir) Khamza Shishani[4] (military emir) Abu Bakr Shishani[5][6] (commander, 2016–17)
Area of operations	Syria
Size	2014: 80+ (Jamaat al-Khilafa al-Qawqazia);[7] 32 (Jamaat Jund al-Qawqaz)[8] 2016: 100+[2]
Part of	Army of Conquest[9] (formerly)
Originated as	Jamaat al-Khilafa al-Qawqazia[10] Jamaat Jund al-Qawqaz[8]
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War 2015 Idlib offensive Second Battle of Idlib[11] Northwestern Syria offensive (April–June 2015)[12] 2015–16 Latakia offensive[13] 2016 Latakia offensive[14] 2016 Hama offensive[15] 2017 Hama offensive[16]

Ajnad al-Kavkaz (transl. "Soldiers of the Caucasus";^[13] short: AK) is a Chechen-led^[4] Jihadi Islamic fundamentalist rebel group active in northern Syria, primarily in the mountainous, forested areas of northern Latakia Governorate. Although formed by former Caucasus Emirate fighters and tentatively linked to the organization,^[17] Ajnad al-Kavkaz operated fully autonomous from the beginning and later cut its links with the Caucasus Emirate.^[9] By September 2016, Ajnad al-Kavkaz had become "the largest of the Muslim factions from the former Soviet Union fighting in Syria."^[2]

History

Foundation

In course of the Second Chechen War's last phase around 2009, numerous Caucasus Emirate fighters temporarily moved to Turkey, often for medical treatment, but were thereafter unable to return to Russia to continue their insurgency. Thus stranded, the militants settled down in Turkey and Syria in involuntary exile, though continued to plan their eventual return to their homelands in North Caucasus. Their situation changed dramatically, however, when the Syrian Civil War broke out in 2011, as the Chechen militants picked up their weapons again, formed many militias and joined local Syrian Islamists in their rebellion against Bashar al-Assad's government.^[3][4][1][2]

The two small militias which later founded Ajnad al-Kavkaz were initially active in the Latakia and Quneitra Governorates: The first one was Jamaat al-Khilafa al-Qawqazia ("The Caucasian Caliphate Group"), which had been founded in 2013^[1] and was led by Abdul Hakim Shishani.^[8] Abdul Hakim had been commander of the central sector of the Caucasus Emirate's Vilayat Nokhchicho in 2007–09,^[3] and his unit consisted of veterans of the Second Chechen War.^[1] The second one was Jamaat Jund al-Qawqaz ("Group of Soldiers of the Caucasus"), a small militia of Islamist Circassians from the Golan Heights and Jordan, which soon pledged allegiance (Bay'ah) to Abdul Hakim. Both were initially members of Ansar al-Sham, and were loosely affiliated with the Caucasus Emirate.^[8][17]

The two groups eventually left Ansar al-Sham in 2014,^[7][1][18] while Jamaat Jund al-Qawqaz was strengthened when Ahrar al-Sharkas ("The Free Circassians") in Quneitra joined their group in November 2014.^[17] The two groups eventually fully merged under Abdul Hakim's leadership in spring 2015 and adopted the name "Ajnad al-Kavkaz".^[1][10][18]

Operational history

Ajnad al-Kavkaz fighters during the Second Battle of Idlib. Due to their close cooperation with other Jihadist groups during this conflict, Ajnad al-Kavkaz was labelled a "terrorist" organization in the West, much to the consternation of the group.^[1][2]

Ajnad al-Kavkaz went on to join the Army of Conquest, an alliance of Islamist rebel groups led by the al-Nusra Front, and participated in the large-scale rebel offensive in 2015 that aimed at fully conquering Idlib Governorate from the Assad government. Fighting alongside other Chechen fighters, 45 Ajnad al-Kavkaz militants acted as elite shock troops for the rebels during the Second Battle of Idlib.^[10][11] In course of the following Northwestern Syria offensive (April–June 2015), Ajnad al-Kavkaz helped to capture the Al-Mastumah military base,^[9] and fought at Kafr Najad^[12] and Muqabala.^[19]

In May 2015, Ajnad al-Kavkaz officially declared that it was not part of or affiliated with the Caucasus Emirate or any other militant organization, instead being simply allied with numerous Syrian rebel groups.^[9] In course of the 2015–16 Latakia offensive, the group claimed to have defended a hilltop against an attack by Russian ground forces.^[13] In late June 2016, Ajnad al-Kavkaz strongly condemned an ISIL terror attack against the Istanbul Atatürk Airport, reaffirming their stance that the targeting of unarmed civilians is against their principles.^[20] Soon after, the group took part in another rebel offensive in Latakia, during which one of its military officials was reportedly killed.^[14] When the government responded to the offensive by launching intense counter-attacks, Ajnad al-Kavkaz became involved in brutal fighting for the hills at the village of Ayn Issa.^[21]

In late 2016, another predominantly North Caucasian militia, Junud al-Sham, dissolved, whereupon many of its Chechen fighters joined Ajnad al-Kavkaz.^[22] Abdul Hakim Shishani's men went on to take part in rebel offensives in northern Hama Governorate in 2016^[15] and 2017.^[16]

After the Idlib Governorate clashes between Tahrir al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham in July 2017, Abdul Hakim Shishani and two other Chechen commanders in Syria released a statement in which they declared themselves and their groups neutral, pledging not to interfer in these "internecine feuds". Abdul Hakim even said "May Allah help us not to participate in this [i.e. the infighting among the rebels]".^[23][24]

Structure and tactics

The forested, mountainous areas of Latakia Governorate are well suited to Ajnad al-Kavkaz's type of warfare.

Ajnad al-Kavkaz's leadership is dominated by Chechens: Overall leader is Abdul Hakim Shishani, who is widely regarded as very capable and experienced commander,^[1] while Khamza Shishani, another veteran of the Second Chechen War, serves as his second-in-command.^[4] Abu Bakr Shishani, who fought with Ibn al-Khattab in Chechnya, was also a leading member of the group since his desertation from Junud al-Sham in early 2016.^[5] He left Ajnad al-Kavkaz in early 2017, however, when he formed his own small unit, Jamaat Seiful Sham.^[6] Nevertheless, despite the prominence of Chechens,^[4][2] the militia has also members from other North Caucasian ethnic groups, Syrian Circassians and Arabs.^[1]

Ajnad al-Kavkaz's structure and tactics largely replicate those of the old North Caucasusian guerrilla groups, which allow the group to operate very effectively in the forested, mountainous areas of Latakia. This is because of the great similarities of the Caucasus Mountains with northern Latakia; the latter is even nicknamed "Syrian Caucasus" by Ajnad al-Kavkaz militants.^[4] In regards to the group's operations, Abdul Hakim Shishani has said that all enemy armed forces are legitimate targets, but disapproves of attacking unarmed civilians, especially if they are Muslims.^[1][20] Ajnad al-Kavkaz also suffers from shortages in funding, and according to Abdul Hakim receives no outside aid, limiting its ability to successfully operate.^[2]

In regards to allegiance, Ajnad al-Kavkaz maintains that it is completely independent, and since May 2015 explicitly states that it does not belong to the Caucasus Emirate. Nevertheless, the group generally emphasizes the importance of cooperation and unity among Islamist rebels, and North Caucasian insurgents in particular.^[9] It does, however, strongly deny to have ever worked with or being affiliated with ISIL,^[1][20] a charge that was levelled against it by pro-Russian LifeNews.^[25]

Ideology

Ajnad al-Kavkaz follows a Sunni Islamic fundamentalist and Jihadist ideology, and wants to spread Islam and the Sharia worldwide.^[2] The group's primary aim, however, is to remove the Russian presence in North Caucasus and to establish an Islamic state there, though Abdul Hakim Shishani has acknowledged that these goals are currently unattainable, primarily due to Russia's power.^[2][1] Instead, he believes that sooner or later a world war against Russia will break out,^[2] which would allow the North Caucasians to launch a popular, violent uprising to regain their independence. According to Abdul Hakim, peaceful protests and resistance, though admirable, will never be able to end the Russian rule over the Caucasus.^[2][1]

Despite this great focus on the eventual conquest of North Caucasus and the reverence for the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria as "glorious chapter in the history of [the Chechen] nation", Abdul Hakim claims that Ajnad al-Kavkaz is not a Chechen nationalist group. Instead, Ajnad al-Kavkaz regards all its activities (including the war against Assad) as part of a wider Muslim struggle for freedom and against Russia. Due to these beliefs, Abdul Hakim is very bitter about his group being labelled "terrorists" by the West. He says that his men do not "kill women, children, or the elderly", and that they only "want to overthrow tyranny. That’s all."^[2][1]

References