B alk aria , ▁Russia , ▁and ▁the ▁fourth ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁C au cas us ▁Em ir ate ▁milit ant ▁group . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Z al im ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁for ▁two ▁years , ▁after ▁his ▁arrest ▁on ▁ 7 ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁On ▁ 2 4 ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁he ▁was ▁released . ▁Short ly ▁after , ▁Z al im ▁joined ▁the ▁C au cas us ▁Em ir ate . ▁On ▁ 1 6 ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁the ▁National ▁Anti - T error ist ▁Committee ▁announced ▁his ▁death ▁during ▁a ▁special ▁operation ▁in ▁N al ch ik , ▁but ▁soon ▁after ▁the ▁committee ▁informed ▁the ▁media ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁mistaken ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁another ▁milit ant ▁( Z aur ▁Pro kop ch uk ) ▁that ▁was ▁killed ▁during ▁that ▁action . ▁He ▁became ▁the ▁leader ▁or ▁em ir ▁of ▁the ▁organization ▁after ▁S ule yman ov ' s ▁death ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁On ▁ 1 0 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁Russian ▁special ▁forces ▁announced ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁top ▁federal ▁fug itive ▁Robert ▁Z ank ish iev , ▁who ▁led ▁the ▁milit ants ▁of ▁Kab ard ino - B alk aria . ▁On ▁ 2 8 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁Z al im ▁replaced ▁Robert ▁as ▁head ▁of ▁Kab ard ino - B alk aria ' s ▁terror ist ▁organization ▁and ▁soon ▁his ▁organization ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁C au cas us ▁Em ir