DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (September 8, 2017) – Russia claims to have killed 40 ISIS fighters with an air strike near the Syrian town of Deir az-Zor. Among the victims were also four high-ranking commanders of the militia.
The targets had met in an underground command bunker, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Facebook. Among those killed was Abu Muhammad al-Schimali, who led the foreign ISIS fighters. There were also indications that ISIS emir Gulmurod Chalimov had been seriously injured during the attack in Syria. He had been taken to the region of al-Muhasan to safety.
Chalimov had been trained in the USA and led the elite troops of the Tajik police force before deserting to ISIS in April 2015. Later he published a video speech in which he announced his homecoming to introduce Sharia law in Tajikistan and carry the jihad to Russia and the USA.
