Aslan Byutukayev

Who is Aslan Byutukayev?

Aslan Byutukayev also known as Emir Khamzat and Abubakar is a Chechen insurgent commander in the Caucasus Emirate, the commander of the Riyad-us Saliheen Brigade of Martyrs and a close associate of Caucasus Emirate leader Dokku Umarov.

Until 2010 Emir Khamzat was a little-known field commander. But in the summer of that year there was a dispute between Dokku Umarov and several commanders of the Chechen wing of the Caucasus Emirate - Tarkhan Gaziyev, Muhannad, Aslanbek Vadalov and Hussein Gakayev that led to Byutukaev’s rapid promotion to commander of Chechnya’s Southwestern Front. He also succeeded the slain Said Buryatsky as leader of the Caucasus Emirate’s unit of suicide bombers, the Riyad-us Saliheen.

In January 2011 Byutukaev trained Magomed Yevloyev, the suicide bomber who carried out the bombing of Domodedovo International Airport in Moscow. Shortly before the bombing, Dokku Umarov, Byutukaev and Magomed Yevloyev filmed a video claiming responsibility for the attacks.

In March 2011 it was reported that Aslan Byutukaev had been killed in an airstrike by the Russian Air Force in Ingushetia, along with the deputy leader of the Caucasus Emirate, Supyan Abdullayev. However, while the rebels confirmed the death of Abdulayev, the death of Byutukaev was denied.