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| Middle East |
| 5 Russian Dagestanis arrested in Egypt for extremist links |
| 2004-01-02 |
| Five Russians studying in Egypt have been arrested, officials in Moscow have confirmed. The five, studying at Cairo’s al-Azhar Islamic university, were detained on Sunday. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said the five were suspected of breaking Egyptian laws, but did not give further details. Russian television said the five, all from the Russian republic of Dagestan, were suspected of extremist links. The Egyptian authorities would provide Russia with full information once their inquiry was complete, Mr Yakovenko said. Dagestan, which has a majority Muslim population, borders Chechnya, where Russian forces have been engaged in a long and bloody campaign to defeat separatists. Moscow says Chechen militants have links to the al-Qaeda terror network, and receive other international help. The Russian embassy in Cairo named the five detained men as Amir-Khamzat Batsilov, Pakhrodin Gazimagomedov, Ahmed Gamzatov, Magomed Nabiyev and Magomed Magomedov. I’m not sure if this is the same guy or not, but Khamzat is reputed to be the new leader of the Special Purpose Islamic Regiment now that Barayev is toe tag. If this is him, then this could be a major bust but I don’t see him as a student at al-Azhar for some reason. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #1 Dagestan-nabbit! Foiled again! |
| Posted by: Ptah 2004-1-2 9:14:11 AM |