Gulmurod Khalimov
| Gulmurod Khalimov | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gulmurod Khalimov |
| Born | 14 May 1975 Varzob, Tajik SSR, Soviet Union |
| Allegiance |  Tajikistan (1993–2015) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (2015–current) |
| Service/branch | Ministry of Internal Affairs |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel (Tajikistan) War minister (ISIL) |
| Commands held | OMON (Tajikistan)[1] Military of ISIL |
| Battles/wars | Tajikistan insurgency Syrian Civil War |
Gulmurod Salimovich Khalimov (Tajik: Гулмурод Салимович Ҳалимов) is a Tajik and Islamist military commander. A lieutenant-colonel when commander of the police special forces of the Interior Ministry of Tajikistan until 2015, he has since defected to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).[2][3] In September 2016, he was reported to have been appointed as the minister of war of ISIL in place of Abu Omar al-Shishani; his appointment had not been announced by ISIL for fears that he might be targeted in airstrikes by the anti-ISIL coalition.[4] On 8 September 2017, the Ministry of Defence of Russia reported that Khalimov was killed during a Russian air strike in Deir ez-Zor. There were no independent confirmations.[5]
Contents
History[edit]
Early life[edit]
He was born 14 May 1975 in Varzob, Tajikistan, then part of the Soviet Union.[6]
Service with the Tajik security forces[edit]
Khalimov eventually joined the Tajik security forces, was trained as sniper[7] and rose to lead the Tajik OMON special forces;[1] in this position, he was considered to be "one of the best trained officers in the country". He helped the government to repress Islamist extremists during the Tajikistan insurgency.[2] From 2003 to 2014, Khalimov participated in five counterterrorism training courses in the United States and in Tajikistan, through the United States Department of State's Diplomatic Security/Anti-Terrorism Assistance program.[8]
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant[edit]
Khalimov disappeared in late April 2015, and surfaced May 28, 2015 in an ISIL video.[9] Although hundreds of Tajiks had already joined ISIL by this point, Khalimov's defection was an "unprecedented case" due to his being a successful, high profile officer and part of the establishment[2] rather than the poor, from whom Islamsist groups mostly recruit. According to regional expert Deirdre Tynan, Khalimov's defection was nevertheless symptomatic, as "there is an element of doubt in people within the [Tajik] civil and security services about what is the trajectory of their countries" and increasing support for radical religious ideologies.[1] Khalimov was the most prominent of the more than 2,000 Tajiks reported to have joined ISIL.[10]
After joining ISIL, Khalimov travelled to Syria, where he was reportedly appointed war minister, and became an important recruiter for the group. In July 2017, four of his relatives in Tajikistan were killed and three arrested by security forces; according to the government, they were ISIL supporters.[7]
Tajik reaction[edit]
Tajik Prosecutor-General Manuchehr Makhmudzod announced on May 29, 2015 that a probe had been opened into Khalimov's activities. The Prosecutor-General's Office said on June 3 that Colonel Gulmurod Khalimov is wanted for crimes including high treason and illegal participation in military actions abroad. "Acting for mercenary means, he joined the international terrorist organization calling itself Islamic State," the statement said.[11][12]
US and UN sanctions[edit]
On September 29, 2015 he was made subject to sanctions by the United States Department of State.[13] He was also made subject to sanctions by the United Nations Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee on 29 February 2016.[14]
In August 2016, the United States Department of State issued a $3 million USD bounty on Khalimov under its Rewards for Justice program.[15]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Andrew Roth (30 May 2015). "Police Commander From Tajikistan Appears in ISIS Video". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
- ^ a b c "Tajikistan special forces chief Gulmurod Khalimov 'joins IS'". BBC. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
- ^ "The U.S.-trained commander of Tajikistan’s special forces has joined the Islamic State". Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ "Isis: US-trained Tajik special forces chief Gulmurod Khalimov becomes Isis 'war minister'". International Business Times. Yahoo! News. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ "Russia claims killing of IS ‘Minister of War’ in Syria" (in Russian). The Times of Israel. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
- ^ "Counter Terrorism Designations". Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ a b "IS 'minister of war' killed in Syria air attack, claims Russia". Middle East Eye. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
- ^ Dugald McConnell; Brian Todd. "Man who joined ISIS trained in the US". CNN. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ "Commander of elite Tajik police force defects to Islamic State". 28 May 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2016 – via Reuters.
- ^ "Tajikistan’s crackdown on observant Muslims intensifies". The Economist. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ RFE/RL (30 May 2015). "U.S. Confirms Training Tajik Ex-Police Commander Who Joined IS". Retrieved 30 July 2016 – via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.
- ^ Service, RFE/RL's Tajik (3 June 2015). "Tajik OMON Commander Wanted For Treason". Retrieved 30 July 2016 – via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.
- ^ "Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters". Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ "Gulmurod Khalimov - United Nations Security Council Subsidiary Organs". Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ "State Dept. offers $3M reward for U.S.-trained Tajik officer who went rogue for ISIS". Washington Times. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
