Shamil Basayev

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Shamil Basayev
Шамиль Басаев Салман ВоӀ Шамиль Salman Voj Şamil
Basayev on the last day of the Budyonnovsk raid on 19 June 1995
Prime Minister of Ichkeria
In office 1 January 1998 – 3 July 1998
Preceded by	Aslan Maskhadov
Succeeded by	Aslan Maskhadov
Personal details
Born	(1965-01-14)14 January 1965 Dyshne-Vedeno, Checheno–Ingush ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died	10 July 2006(2006-07-10) (aged 41) Ekazhevo, Ingushetia, Russia
Awards
Nickname	Abdullah Shamil Abu-Idris
Military service
Allegiance	Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus Chechen Republic of Ichkeria  Azerbaijan
Years of service	1991–2006
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands	Armed Forces of Ichkeria Islamic Peacekeeping Brigade Caucasian Front Riyadus-Salihiin
Battles/wars	War in Abkhazia Battle of Gagra First Nagorno-Karabakh War Battle of Shusha (1992) Battle of Grozny (November 1994) First Chechen War Battle of Grozny (1994–95) Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis Battle of Grozny (August 1996) Dagestan War Second Chechen War Battle of Grozny (1999–2000) Battle of Vedeno 2004 Nazran raid

Shamil Salmanovich Basayev (Chechen: Салман ВоӀ Шамиль; Salman Voj Şamil; Russian: Шамиль Салманович Басаев; 14 January 1965 – 10 July 2006), also known by his kunya "Abu Idris", was a North Caucasian guerilla leader who served as a senior military commander in the breakaway Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. He held the rank of brigadier general in the Armed Forces of Ichkeria, and was posthumously declared generalissimo. As a military commander in the separatist armed forces of Chechnya, one of his most notable battles was the separatist recapture of Grozny in 1996, which he personally planned and commanded together with Aslan Maskhadov. He also masterminded several of the worst terrorist attacks that occurred in Russia.^[1][2]

Starting as a field commander in the Transcaucasus, Basayev led guerrilla campaigns against Russian forces for years, as well as launching mass-hostage takings of civilians, with his goal being the withdrawal of Russian soldiers from Chechnya.^[3] From 1997 to 1998, he also served as the vice-prime minister of the breakaway state in Aslan Maskhadov's government. Beginning in 2003, Basayev used the nom de guerre and title of "Emir Abdullah Shamil Abu-Idris". As Basayev's ruthless reputation gained notoriety, he became well revered among his peers and eventually became the highest ranking Chechen military commander and was considered the undisputed leader of the Chechen insurgency as well as being the overall senior leader of all other Chechen rebel factions.

He ordered the Budyonnovsk hospital raid in 1995, the Beslan school siege in 2004,^[4] and was responsible for numerous attacks on security forces in and around Chechnya.^[5][6][7] He also masterminded the 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis and the 2004 Russian aircraft bombings. ABC News described him as "one of the most-wanted terrorists in the world".^[8] Despite his aura, journalist Tom de Waal described him as "almost unassuming in the flesh", being "of medium height, with a bushy beard and high forehead worthy of a Moscow intellectual, and a quiet voice."^[9]

Basayev was killed in a truck explosion during an arms deal in July 2006. Forensic evidence suggests that his death was caused when a landmine he was examining exploded, but Russian officials have also claimed that one of the Kamaz trucks used was booby-trapped and detonated to destroy the arms shipment, also killing Basayev.