Accessibility links

Breaking News

Georgian Man Reportedly Killed Fighting Alongside IS Militants In Syria


A Georgian citizen has been reportedly killed while fighting alongside Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria.

Georgian media reports quote residents of the Pankisi Gorge region as saying that Sultan Gumashvili, a resident of the area, was killed in Syria this week.

On August 9, a court in Tbilisi sentenced a resident of the Pankisi Gorge to 12 years in jail for fighting alongside militants in Syria.

The Pankisi Gorge, in eastern Georgia, borders Russia's Chechnya region and is home to Muslims with ethnic ties to Chechens.

Pankisi Gorge native Tarkhan Batirashvili, also known as Umar al-Shishani, was a top IS commander in Syria.

IS said in July that Batirashvili was killed during a battle in the town of Al-Shirqat in northern Iraq.

Georgian officials have said that dozens of Georgian citizens have joined IS militants in Syria and Iraq in recent years.

Based on reporting by apnsy.ge and Interfax

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG