Georgian man reportedly killed fighting alongside IS militants in Syria
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 25 August 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Georgian man reportedly killed fighting alongside IS militants in Syria, 25 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57db9a4b13.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
August 25, 2016
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
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
