Death of Rustam Asilderov triggered experts' debate

Rustam Asilderov was one of the oldest members of the North-Caucasian underground, but he had no serious influence on the processes in the region, said the journalist Orkhan Jemal. The death of one of the most authoritative leaders of the "Islamic State" (IS), banned in Russia, in the Caucasus will result in weakening of the IS' position in the region, believes Denis Sokolov, the head of the RAMCOM Research Centre.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 3, the Makhachkala neighbourhood of Talgi was put under the counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime; and power agents reported killing five militants. One of the casualties was identified as Rustam Asilderov, the leader of the terrorist organization "Vilayat Kavkaz", banned in the Russian Federation.

Without any clear political objectives of its influence in the Caucasus, in the near future, the "Imarat Kavkaz" (banned in Russia) will also eventually lose its influence, Denis Sokolov has added.

Asilderov was notable not only for his political influence and strategic experience, but for his longevity, says Orkhan Jemal, a correspondent of the Forbes magazine. He believes that Asilderov carried no operative management of the terrorist subdivision in the Caucasus.

The activeness of the armed underground in Dagestan has fallen significantly, believes Idris Yusupov, a journalist of "Novoye Delo", according to whom "for a long time, nothing is head about significant new names in the republic, who could claim their leadership over the underground".