Caucasian Front (Chechen War)

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Caucasian Front (Russian: Кавказский фронт)
Flag of Caucasian Front and Coat Of Arms of ChRI
Active	2005-present
Allegiance	Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Caucasus Emirate 2007-present
Type	Infantry
Engagements	Second Chechen War
Commanders
Emirs	Shamil Basayev 2005-2006 Akhmed Yevloyev 2006-present
Ingush Jamaat Shariat Jamaat Yarmuk Jamaat Kataib al-Khoul	Ilias Gorchkhanov 2000-2005 Akhmed Yevloyev 2005-present Rasul Makasharipov 2002-2005 Rappani Khalilov 2005-2007 Abdul Madzhid 2007-present Muslim Atayev 2002-2005 Anzor Astemirov 2005-present Alan Digorsky 2006-present

The Caucasian Front (Russian: Кавказский фронт) also called Caucasus Front is a structural unit of the rebel Chechen Republic of Ichkeria armed forces, formally established in May 2005 by the decree of then Chechen rebel President Abdul-Halim Sadulayev during the Second Chechen War.

The organization united various Jamaats across the North Caucasus to fight the Russian Federation not only in Chechnya but also in the rest of the North Caucasus, in favor of Chechnya's independence.

It was commanded by Shamil Basayev until his death in July 2006. As of September 2006 it is commanded by Akhmed Yevloyev. In October 2007 leaders of the Caucasian Front and the rebel president of Ichkeria announced the front now also fights to establish the Caucasus Emirate.

1 Creation
2 Notable Events
3 External links
4 See also

[edit] Creation

While the anti-Russian local insurgencies in North Caucasus started even before the creation of the Caucasian Front, two months after Aslan Maskhadov's death, the new Chechen separatist President Abdul-Halim Sadulayev officially announced that they had formed a Caucasus Front within the framework of "reforming the system of military-political power." Along with the Chechen, Dagestani and Ingush "sectors," the Stavropol, Kabardin-Balkar, Krasnodar, Karachai-Circassian, Ossetian and Adyghe jamaats were included in it.

This, in essence, means that practically all the regions of the Russia's south between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea would be involved in the hostilities. The Chechen separatist movement had taken on a new role as the official ideological, logistical and, probably, financial hub of the new insurgency in the North Caucasus.[1] Increasingly frequent clashes between federal forces and local militants continue in Dagestan and Ingushetia, while sporadic fighting erupts in the other southern Russia regions.

[edit] Notable Events

[edit] 2004 Nazran raid

Destroyed military vehicle in Nazran after the Ingushetia raid

Main article: June 2004 Nazran raid

On the night of June 21-22, 2004, hundreds of Chechen and Ingush fighters carried out a large-scale raid on Ingushetia, led by Shamil Basayev. The overnight attacks targeted 15 government buildings, mostly in the former Ingush capital Nazran. Some 60 Ingush and Russian members of the security forces, including the republic's Interior Minister Abukar Kostoyev, were killed in the attacks or methodically executed by the assailants, and 27 Ingush civilians were killed in the crossfire.

[edit] Dagestan crisis of 2005

According to a July 2005 report by the Russian Academy of Sciences, there were 70 "terror attacks" in Dagestan in the first six months of 2005, compared with 30 for all of 2004. The attacks, which were becoming more sophisticated and deadly, primarily targeted Russian soldiers and the local police and government officials. Sources indicated that as many as 2,000 Islamic insurgents, many belonging to the Sharia Jamaat group, were involved in the Dagestani jihad.

[edit] 2005 Nalchik raid

Main article: October 2005 Nalchik attack

On October 13, 2005, local and Caucasian insurgents organized a daylight raid on Nalchik in the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. The insurrection claimed lives of more than 90 people, including at least 14 civilians, 35 policemen and 41 rebels.

[edit] Ingushetia crisis of 2007

On July 26, 2007, a massive security operation was launched in Ingushetia, sparked by a series of attacks including an assassination attempt on President Murat Zyazikov.[2] Moscow sent in an additional 2,500 MVD troops, almost tripling the number of special forces in Ingushetia.[3] In the next few days hundreds of men have been rounded up in the sweeps, while several security officers were killed and wounded in the continued attacks.[4] By October 2007, police and security forces in Ingushetia were issued orders to stop informing the media of any "incidents of a terrorist nature."[5]