Another one bites the dust.
Via Long War Journal:
The Islamic Caucasus Emirate, an al Qaeda-linked group that operates in southern Russia, confirmed that its emir, Doku Umarov, has died. Although Umarov was rumored to have been killed by Russian security forces late last year, the reports have not been confirmed until now.
“The Command of the Caucasus Emirate officially announced the martyrdom of the Emir Doku Abu Usman [Umarov],” according to statement that was released today on Kavkaz Center, a media outlet for the Islamic Caucasus Emirate.
The Islamic Caucasus Emirate did not say how or when Umarov was killed. The martyrdom statement only provided a brief biography of Umarov.
Umarov was first reported killed by Ramzan Kadyrov, the President of the Chechen Republic, on Dec. 18, 2013. But one day later, a video showing the Islamic Caucasus Emirate leader was uploaded to YouTube on Dec. 19.
In mid-January 2014, Kadyrov again claimed that Umarov is dead, and said intercepted communications between jihadist leaders in Kabardino-Balkaria and Dagestan mentioned the election of a new “emir.” The name of the new emir of the Islamic Caucasus Emirate has not been disclosed.