Rustam Asildarov
Caucasus Emirate and ISIL member
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rustam Asildarov (Aselderov) (9 March 1981 – 3 December 2016), also known as Emir Abu Muhammad Kadarsky,[2] was the leader of the Islamic State (IS) North Caucasus branch, and a former leader of the militant Caucasus Emirate's Vilayat Dagestan wing.
Rustam Asildarov | |
|---|---|
| Рустам Магомедович Асельдеров | |
| Wali of Wilayah al-Qawkaz | |
| In office 23 June 2015 – 3 December 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Emir of the Dagestani Front | |
| In office 8 August 2012 – January 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Ibragimkhalil Daudov |
| Succeeded by | Kamil Saidov (Said Kharakansky) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 March 1981 |
| Died | 3 December 2016 (aged 35) |
| Nickname | Emir Abu Muhammad |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Caucasus Emirate (former)[1] Islamic State |
| Commands | Dagestan Front (former) Caucasus Province |
| Battles/wars | Insurgency in the North Caucasus Islamic State insurgency in the North Caucasus |
Biography
Asildarov grew up in the Kadar region of the Buynaksky District in Russia's republic of Dagestan. During the late 1990s, the area became a regional center of Salafism and had de facto independence, before military operations in September 1999 brought it back under the control of the Russian state.[3]
Asildarov became the leader of Vilayat Dagestan's Central Sector in May 2010,[4] and on 8 August 2012, Caucasus Emirate's leader, Dokka Umarov, appointed Asildarov as the overall leader of Vilayat Dagestan, following the death of Ibragimkhalil Daudov.[5]
In December 2014, a video clip of Asildarov was posted online, in which he retracted his oath of allegiance to Umarov's successor, Aliaskhab Kebekov, and pledged loyalty to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Kebekov responded days later with a video, in which he condemned Asildarov's "betrayal" and appointed Kamil Saidov as the new leader of Vilayat Dagestan.[1][6]
In an audio statement on 23 June 2015, IS's spokesman Abu Mohammad al-Adnani accepted pledges of allegiance to the group made by North Caucasus militants, and announced the creation of a new Wilayat or Province covering the region. Adnani declared the leader of this new branch to be Abu Muhammad al-Qadari, a pseudonym of Asildarov.[7][8]
On 29 September 2015, the United States Department of State added Asildarov to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.[9]
On 3 December 2016, the FSB announced that Asildarov and four close associates had been killed in an anti-terror raid near Makhachkala, Dagestan.[citation needed]