Tarkhan Ismailovich Gaziyev Тархан Исмаилович Газиев |
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Personal details | |
Born | 11 November 1965 Pozh-Poroy, Chechen–Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Caucasus Emirate |
Commands |
Southwest Front of the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Raisa Mukhabarat |
Battles/wars |
Second Chechen War North Caucasus Insurgency |
Southwest Front of the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
Tarkhan Ismailovich Gaziyev (Russian: Тарха́н Исмаи́лович Гази́ев), also known as Emir Tarkhan, is a Chechen militant commander who has fought in the Insurgency in the North Caucasus. The United States Department of State added Gaziyev to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists on 29 September 2015.
Gaziyev was born on 11 November 1965 in the small village of Pozh-Poroy in the mountainous Itum-Kale district of the former Chechen–Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. During the Second Chechen War, Gaziyev held a number of top military positions in Chechnya's armed underground resistance, commanding a squad of several dozen militants that operated mainly in the Achkoi-Martan district.
Officially wanted by federal authorities since 14 May 2004, Gaziyev has established his rebel credentials by carrying out an array of attacks on Russian security forces and local pro-Moscow authorities, including:
Virtually every insurgent operation conducted in the Itum-Kale district from 2002–2011, as well as all operations undertaken in the Achkoi-Martan district from 2007-2011 are alleged to be attributable to Gaziyev; altogether, he has led sub-units on dozens of missions in the past decade. He was said to be held in great respect by fellow fighters for his courage, military skills and depth of faith.
Gaziyev was named commander of the Southwest Front of the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria by rebel leader Dokka Umarov on 24 September 2006, and was later appointed head of the National Security Service at the beginning of March 2007. Following the formation of the Caucasus Emirate in the fall of 2007, the entity was renamed “Raisa Mukhabarat” (security service), and Gaziyev retained his post; however, Umarov revoked Gaziyev's title following a summer 2010 leadership dispute.