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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
Abu Dzeit tied to Beslan, al-Qaeda |
2005-02-21 |
An al Qaeda member known as Abu Dzeit has been killed in the Russian internal republic of Ingushetia, Russian authorities said Monday. "A joint operation with the Interior Ministry was conducted in a private house in a village in Ingushetia on February 16," spokesman for the Federal Security Service Sergei Ignatchenko told reporters on Monday. "The operation first resulted in the death of two of his accomplices. Abu Dzeit hid in a special bunker built under the house. When the entrance was discovered, he blew himself up," Ignatchenko said. He said investigators identified the body as Abu Dzeit's. A source in the FSB, Russia's domestic security service, told RIA-Novosti that Abu Dzeit, eliminated in Ingushetia, was the leader of the so-called Ingush Jamaat and an emissary of the international terror network al Qaeda. He was also known as little Omar, and Abu Omar of Kuwait. Abu Dzeit reported directly to Abu Havs, a purported coordinator of all terrorist activities on Russian territory, a source said. Abu Dzeit had received special training in al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan. Later he was appointed al Qaeda's envoy to Ingushetia. He was in charge of distributing cash funds provided by al Qaeda to radical Islamists in the Northern Caucasus. Investigators believe Abu Dzeit was involved in the rebel attack on Ingushetia last summer and in the hostage-taking at a school in Beslan, North Ossetia, in September 2004. Earlier an Ingush Interior Ministry officially reported that Abu Dzeit was killed in June 2004 in Malgobek. Check out the graphic photo at the link. He looks dead this time. |
Posted by:Dan Darling |