Karamakhi
Encyclopedia
Karamakhi is a rural locality (a selo) in Buynaksky District
of the Republic of Dagestan
, Russia
.
republic, the advance guard of radical Islam in Dagestan. Young people in search of "pure Islam" flocked to these villages from all over Dagestan and other republics of the Northern Caucasus. Karamakhi became a heavily fortified militant fortress. Sharia law was put in force in the villages. Muhajideen warlord Ibn Al-Khattab
made Karamakhi the headquarters of his Islamic Army of the Caucasus. In August 1998, the local governments of Karamakhi, Chabanmakhi, and Kadar declared the three villages as "liberated Islamic territory."
The village was the scene of heavy fighting during the Invasion of Dagestan, after Chechnya-based militants had launched an armed incursion to Dagestan from Chechnya. In late August, the Russian military began aerial bombardments of Karamakhi. These bombings were later mentioned by the presumed terrorist organization Liberation Army of Dagestan
as the reason for launching the 1999 Russian apartment bombings
for revenge.
Buynaksky District
Buynaksky District is a district , one of the forty-one in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. The area of the district is . Its administrative center is the town of Buynaksk . District's population: 65,018 ;...
of the Republic of Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Overview
In 1997-1999, Karamakhi (along with the village of Chabanmakhi) became a hotbed of radical islamism. The majority of the villages' inhabitants accepted the ideology of the radical Jamaat movement, and the local Muslim community became a tiny WahhabiWahhabism
Wahhabism is a religious movement or a branch of Islam. It was developed by an 18th century Muslim theologian from Najd, Saudi Arabia. Ibn Abdul Al-Wahhab advocated purging Islam of what he considered to be impurities and innovations...
republic, the advance guard of radical Islam in Dagestan. Young people in search of "pure Islam" flocked to these villages from all over Dagestan and other republics of the Northern Caucasus. Karamakhi became a heavily fortified militant fortress. Sharia law was put in force in the villages. Muhajideen warlord Ibn Al-Khattab
Ibn al-Khattab
Samir Saleh Abdullah Al-Suwailem , more commonly known as Emir Khattab meaning Commander Khattab, or Leader Khattab, and also known as Habib Abdul Rahman, was a Muslim guerilla fighter and financier working with Chechen Mujahideen in the First Chechen War...
made Karamakhi the headquarters of his Islamic Army of the Caucasus. In August 1998, the local governments of Karamakhi, Chabanmakhi, and Kadar declared the three villages as "liberated Islamic territory."
The village was the scene of heavy fighting during the Invasion of Dagestan, after Chechnya-based militants had launched an armed incursion to Dagestan from Chechnya. In late August, the Russian military began aerial bombardments of Karamakhi. These bombings were later mentioned by the presumed terrorist organization Liberation Army of Dagestan
Liberation Army of Dagestan
Liberation army of Dagestan ' is a militant group that claimed responsibility for the 1999 Russian apartment bombings.- First phone call :...
as the reason for launching the 1999 Russian apartment bombings
Russian apartment bombings
The Russian apartment bombings were a series of explosions that hit four apartment blocks in the Russian cities of Buynaksk, Moscow, and Volgodonsk in September 1999, killing 293 people and injuring 651. The explosions occurred in Buynaksk on 4 September, Moscow on 9 and 13 September, and...
for revenge.