Abu Hafs al-Urduni

Abu Hafs Al-Urduni ابو حفص الاردني


3rd Emir of the Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya
In office 2004–2006
Preceded by	Abu al-Walid
Succeeded by	Muhannad
Personal details
Born	1963 Jordan
Died	November 26, 2006 (aged 42 or 43) Khasav-Yurt, Dagestan
Religion	Sunni Islam
Military service
Battles/wars	Soviet war in Afghanistan Tajik Civil War First Chechen War Second Chechen War

Abu Hafs al-Urduni (ابو حفص الاردني) (born Jordan, 1963, died November 26, 2006), also transliterated as Abu Hafs al-Urdani was a Mujahid Emir (commander) fighting in Chechnya. After Abu al-Walid’s death in April 2004, he assumed command of the Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya. He was killed in Dagestan on November 26, 2006.

Biography

Early life

Most of whatever little is known about al-Urduni, is known through the Russian media. It is however fairly certain that his given name is Farid Yusef Umeira, that he was born in Jordan and that he participated in the Afghan-Soviet war and the Tajik civil war along with Khattab and al-Walid. With the latter two he came to Chechnya in 1995 where he would remain until his death. He would also marry two Chechen women.^[1]

Chechen Wars

In the First and Second Chechen War he fought in the battalion of Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya under Khattab and, after Khattab’s death, as al-Walid’s deputy. After al-Walid’s death in 2004, al-Urduni succeeded him as Amir of the battalion and issued a video statement about al-Walid’s death, much the same way as al-Walid had done with his own predecessor, Khattab. As commander of the Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya, al-Urduni faced increasingly harsh conditions for himself and his unit of foreign fighters. Apart from the loss of their most prominent commanders and the relentless hunt for separatists by the Russian Federal Forces, funding for the battalion had also become a major problem due to anti-terrorism measures restricting financial transactions. Abu Hafs orchestrated and launched the 2004 Avtury raid and the 2006 Avtury ambush on Russian forces in Avtury, Chechnya. Videos were made of the ambsuhes and now circulate the internet.

Alleged links to al-Qaeda

Colin Powell's 2003 UN presentation slide showing Abu Hafs and others as part of the al-Zarqawi's global terrorist network. (Subsequently shown to be an incorrect allegation.)

The name of Abu Hafs al-Urduni is often mentioned in connection with al-Qaeda. Russian intelligence sources and media have repeatedly accused him of being al-Qaeda’s emissary in the Caucasus.^[2] His name is also found in a presentation of Colin Powell, then U.S. Secretary of State at the Security Council in February 2003 just before the Iraq War, where al-Urduni was stated to be part of a supposed international network headed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.^[3]^[4]

In an interview with Kavkaz Center, al-Urduni once expressed his sympathy with al-Qaeda and Osama bin-Laden, although he did not admit to being part of the organization. On a different occasion he condemned the Beslan hostage crisis and denied personal involvement.^[1] Whether or not he was an agent of al-Qaeda or if there are, or have been, any formal ties between the Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya and al-Qaeda remains unclear.

Death

November 26, 2006, Abu Hafs al-Urduni was killed in a gunfight with Russian special forces in Khasav-Yurt, Dagestan. Russian sources claim the fire fight lasted for four hours, and that four other rebels were killed in the encounter.^[5] KavkazCenter later confirmed al-Urduni’s death, but claims only two other rebels were killed in the fighting. December 9, 2006, Qoqaz News, the Chechen Mujahideen online news agency, reported that Muhannad had succeeded al-Urduni as commander of the Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya.^[6]

References

1 2 The Jamestown Foundation; ABU HAFS AND THE FUTURE OF ARAB FIGHTERS IN CHECHNYA Archived November 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
↑ Sputnik. "Sputnik International". Retrieved 10 July 2016.
↑ "Colin Powell slide 40". Retrieved 10 July 2016.
↑ "Colin Powell slide 43". Retrieved 10 July 2016.
↑ Sputnik. "Sputnik International". Retrieved 10 July 2016.
↑ Site Institute; The Commander Muhannad Assumes the Leadership of the Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya Following the Death of Abu Hafs al-Urduni

External links

Chechen–Russian conflict

Key events	Conflict	Federalists	Separatists	Mujahideen

Wars First Chechen War War of Dagestan Second Chechen War War in Ingushetia First Chechen War (1994–96) 1994 Grozny battle 1994 Khankala battle 1994–95 Grozny battle 1996 Shatoy ambush 1996 Grozny battle 1996 Khasavyurt accord Second Chechen War (1999–2009) 1999 Chechnya bombing 1999–2000 Grozny battle 2000 Height 776 battle 2000 Komsomolskoye battle 2000 Zhani ambush 2002 Khankala Mi-26 crash 2004 Nazran raid 2004 Grozny raid 2005 Nalchik raid Counter-insurgency operations Guerrilla phase Insurgency (2009–present) Insurgency in the North Caucasus	Major attacks 1995 Budyonnovsk hostage crisis 1996 Black Sea hostage crisis 1996 Kizlyar hostage crisis 1999 Apartment bombings 2002 Moscow hostage crisis 2002 Grozny truck bombing 2004 Aircraft bombings 2004 Beslan school siege Related topics Censorship of Chechnya coverage Crimes and terrorism Mass graves Suicide attacks Assassinations Casualties (Second Chechen War) Aircraft losses International response Politics of Chechnya Chechenpress Kavkaz Center In culture Alexandra Angel of Grozny Ant in a Glass Jar Polina Zherebtsova's Journal The 3 Rooms of Melancholia The Pathologies The Search War	Combatants Russian Federation Armed Forces Ground Forces Ministry of Internal Affairs OMON ODON Internal Troops Federal Security Service Main Intelligence Directorate Special Forces (Spetsnaz) Republic of Chechnya Militia (Kadyrovtsy) Leaders Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin Dmitry Medvedev Vladimir Putin Chechnya † Akhmad Kadyrov Alu Alkhanov Ramzan Kadyrov † Dzhabrail Yamadayev † Ruslan Yamadayev † Sulim Yamadayev	Combatants Ichkeria Caucasian Front Leaders † Dzhokhar Dudayev † Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev † Aslan Maskhadov † Abdul-Halim Sadulayev † Ruslan Gelayev † Shamil Basayev † Arbi Barayev † Salman Raduyev Akhmed Zakayev † Turpal-Ali Atgeriyev † Vakha Arsanov Ilyas Akhmadov † Movsar Barayev † Muslim Atayev † Rasul Makasharipov † Ilias Gorchkhanov † Rappani Khalilov	Combatants Caucasus Emirate Arab Mujahideen Islamic International Brigade Riyad-us Saliheen Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Caucasus Province Leaders † Magomed Suleimanov † Aliaskhab Kebekov † Dokka Umarov (POW) Aslambek Vadalov (POW) Ali Taziev † Anzor Astemirov † Supyan Abdullayev Aslan Byutukayev Movladi Udugov † Khuseyn Gakayev (POW) Tarkhan Gaziyev † Said Buryatsky † Magomed Vagabov † Rustam Asildarov † Asker Dzhappuyev † Arthur Getagazhev † Ibn al-Khattab † Abu al-Walid † Abu Hafs al-Urduni † Muhannad † Abdulla Kurd

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