The Pankisi Gorge is located in the foothills of the Caucasus mountains just 60 miles from the Chechen border.
For the outside world, Pankisi tends to be best known for its former resident, Tarkhan Batirashvili, also known as Omar the Chechen, a prominent commander with the Islamic State terrorist group presumed killed by a US airstrike in March. Scores of other young men also have left to join Islamic militants in Syria.