Chechen spies have infiltrated ISIS in Syria, says Chechnya leader
Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-appointed leader of the North Caucasus Chechnya region, claimed that Chechen spies working on behalf of the Kremlin are attempting to infiltrate the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and help Russian forces in that country dismantle and destroy that terror group.
According to AFP his remarks were made in the preview for a documentary airing on Russian television on Wednesday which says "agents from special forces from Chechnya were embedded" in ISIS training camps where they sought to "gather information about the structure and numbers of the terrorists and set targets for bombings."
The authenticity of the documentary is already in question. One source quoted by the Russian Interfax news agency admitted that there are Chechens in Syria aiming to fight ISIS but argues that, "These consist of self-organized young men who aim to fight the terrorist organization," and made clear that, "none of them are members of the Russian armed forces or working for the interior ministry."
One justification Russia has given for intervening in Syria is the combating of Islamists coming from the Caucasus and joining the likes of ISIS. The Kremlin fears that they could get a foothold in Syria and use it as a training ground or launchpad for terrorist attacks in Russia.
The documentary also quotes Kadyrov claiming that the "best fighters" of Chechen Muslim extraction have created an "intricate agent network directly inside ISIS."
"We unfortunately have had some losses," Kadyrov went on to admit. "But they knew where they were going, what they were getting involved in. They went there so we can live peacefully in Chechnya and all over Russia."
According to AFP his remarks were made in the preview for a documentary airing on Russian television on Wednesday which says "agents from special forces from Chechnya were embedded" in ISIS training camps where they sought to "gather information about the structure and numbers of the terrorists and set targets for bombings."
The authenticity of the documentary is already in question. One source quoted by the Russian Interfax news agency admitted that there are Chechens in Syria aiming to fight ISIS but argues that, "These consist of self-organized young men who aim to fight the terrorist organization," and made clear that, "none of them are members of the Russian armed forces or working for the interior ministry."
One justification Russia has given for intervening in Syria is the combating of Islamists coming from the Caucasus and joining the likes of ISIS. The Kremlin fears that they could get a foothold in Syria and use it as a training ground or launchpad for terrorist attacks in Russia.
The documentary also quotes Kadyrov claiming that the "best fighters" of Chechen Muslim extraction have created an "intricate agent network directly inside ISIS."
"We unfortunately have had some losses," Kadyrov went on to admit. "But they knew where they were going, what they were getting involved in. They went there so we can live peacefully in Chechnya and all over Russia."