A Profile of Tarkhan Gaziev: The Third Man in Chechnya’s Rebel Troika

Chechen rebel leader Tarkhan Gaziev

Tarkhan Gaziev is one of the most notable field commanders in Chechya’s interminable rebellion against the Russian state. At various times during the second military campaign since 1999, he held a number of top military positions within the Chechen armed underground resistance. Gaziev commanded a squad numbering several dozens of militants during the second Chechen campaign. For the most part he operated in the Achkhoi-Martan district, which is home to concentrated numbers of natives from the mountainous part of Chechnya. The terrain allows Chechens to find both shelter and food here on the plains close to the Ingush border. Time after time, his active operations spurred the authorities to conduct special operations to liquidate him and destroy the combat efficiency of his squad. This was the case in the beginning of 2004, when attempts were made in Chechnya’s Shatoi district to eliminate him and Doku Umarov. Yet, Russia’s intelligence services and their proxies in the North Caucasus have been unable to capture or kill Gaziev for virtually 12 years....