Islamic State commander Omar al-Shishani is very much alive, despite claims by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov that the red-bearded militant was killed last week, a Georgian newspaper cited residents of his native Pankisi Gorge as saying.
Referring to al-Shishani by his his birth name, respected Pankisi Gorge elder Khaso Khangoshvili said: "The guys [from Pankisi] called, everything is okay with Tarkhan [Batirashvili]," Russia's Vzglyad newspaper reported Monday.
Khangoshvili's comments were first published by Georgian newspaper Rezonansi and republished in Russian by Vzglyad.
Khangoshvili also said Batirashvili's relatives would have been informed if he had been injured. Batirashvili's father, a Christian, still lives in Pankisi Gorge, though the two reportedly have not been in touch since the militant lashed out at his father because of their religious differences.
Another resident, Ayuf Borchasvili, was cited as saying that other men from Georgia's Pankisi Gorge — once considered a hotbed of Islamic extremist activity by Russia's security services — had spoken to Batirashvili by phone and confirmed that he was still alive.
Last week, Kadyrov said Batirashvili had been killed while fighting, though many bloggers immediately debunked the claim, pointing out the photo that the hardman leader used as proof had been published a year earlier.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
