The committee identified three Islamist operatives killed in the
shootout in Chechnya's Shali district. The statement said Mohanad as well as
Doku Umarov were the most well-known of the Chechen rebels, Middle East Newsline reported.
Mohanad was identified as the commander of Al Qaida in the North
Caucasus. The committee said Mohanad was regarded as a rival to Umarov for
the post of overall Islamic commander in the region. Umarov has claimed
responsibility for the bombing of a Moscow airport in January in which
37 people were killed.
Mohanad was said to have been a leading Al Qaida commander in the
Caucasus since 1999. In 2005, Mohanad became the chief recipient for funds
to Al Qaida in the Chechnya region.
"Almost all terror attacks that used suicide bombers over the last few
years were prepared with his involvement," the committee said.
Chechnya has long been a battle ground for Al Qaida. Officials said Al
Qaida has sent thousands of Arab nationals to the breakaway republic since
1995.
Another insurgency casualty was identified as Khaled Yusef Al Emirate, a
42-year-old Jordanian national. Officials said Al Emirate served as a field
commander for the Islamic rebels.