The Caucasus Emirate is a Sunni Salafist Islamist extremist network which formed in October 2007. Its goal is to overthrow the secular governments in the North Caucasus republics and establish an Islamic emirate governed under the Salafist interpretation of Sharia Law. The Caucasus Emirate has carried out terrorist activities in Russia and the North Caucasus republics that range from ambushes with small arms, targeted assassinations using snipers, improvised explosive devices, and suicide bombings. Since November 2014, many of the network's leaders have switched their allegiance to the Islamic State. On February 22, 2017, a Caucasus Emirate spokesman called for militants in Chechnya to target Russian infrastructure and military facilities.