[ARABNEWS] A young, red-bearded ethnic Chechen has rapidly become one of the most prominent commanders in the breakaway Al-Qaeda group that has overrun swaths of Iraq and Syria, illustrating the international nature of the movement.Omar Al-Shishani, one of hundreds of Chechens who have been among the toughest jihadi fighters in Syria, has emerged as the face of the Islamic State (IS), appearing frequently in its online videos — in contrast to the group's Iraqi leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, who remains deep in hiding and has hardly ever been photographed.
In a video released by the group over the weekend, Al-Shishani is shown standing next to the group's front man among a group of fighters as they declare the elimination of the border between Iraq and Syria. The video was released just hours before the myrmidon group announced the creation of a caliphate — or Islamic state — in the areas it controls.
"Our aim is clear and everyone knows why we are fighting. Our path is toward the caliphate," the 28-year-old Al-Shishani declares. "We will bring back the caliphate, and if God does not make it our fate to restore the caliphate, then we ask him to grant us martyrdom." The video is consistent with other News Agency that Dare Not be Named reporting on Al-Shishani.