MOSCOW, April 8 (RIA Novosti) — Aleksander Bortnikov, the director of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), confirmed on Tuesday that the activity of Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov has been stopped.
“As a result of operative military work, the activity of the head of Umarov’s Imarat Caucasus organization has been stopped," Bortnikov said at a meeting of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC).
The leader of the North Caucasus insurgency, whose group claimed responsibility for a string of deadly attacks in Russia over the last several years, was reported dead last month by a pro-insurgency website.
Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of the Chechen Republic where Umarov-led terrorist activities were concentrated, claimed earlier in January that intercepted communications between militants had provided evidence of Umarov’s death.
“Umarov has been dead for a long time. We are just searching for his body … I state officially that Umarov poses no danger to the Chechen nation," Kadyrov said.
The Islamic Caucasus Emirate confirmed the death of its founder on March 18, although the Russian NAC said it had no information on Umarov’s death and did not comment on such reports. The US National Security Council likewise told the press the council could not confirm the report.
