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In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Salmanovich and the family name is Basayev.
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
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.
^"Chechen Rebel Leader Basayev Killed in Blast". pbs.org. 10 July 2006.
^Cite error: The named reference bbc-obituary was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Jonathan Steele (11 July 2006). "Shamil Basayev -Chechen politician seeking independence through terrorism". Obituary. London. one-time guerrilla commander who turned into a mastermind of spectacular and brutal terrorist actions ... served for several months as prime minister
^Cite error: The named reference abcbeslan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Russia's tactics make Chechen war spread across Caucasus". Kavkaz. 16 September 2005. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
^"Russia: RFE/RL Interviews Chechen Field Commander Umarov". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 28 July 2005. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
^No Terrorist Acts in Russia Since Beslan: Whom to Thank? Archived 18 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
^"Chechen Guerilla Leader Calls Russians 'Terrorists'". ABC News. 28 July 2005. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
^"Shamil Basayev: Chechen warlord" (30 September 1999), BBC News. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
were members of the Riyad-us Saliheen, sent by the Chechen warlord ShamilBasayev, who demanded Russia withdraw from and recognize the independence of...
in Chechnya under the aegis of the OSCE, running primarily against ShamilBasayev and Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev.[citation needed] The elections were conducted...
had assumed the leadership, a move that was quickly endorsed by ShamilBasayev (Basayev himself died in July 2006). On 2 February 2006, Sadulayev made...
leadership. In June 1995, a group led by the maverick field commander ShamilBasayev took more than 1,500 people hostage in southern Russia in the Budyonnovsk...
14 to 19 June 1995, when a group of 195 Chechen separatists led by ShamilBasayev attacked the southern Russian city of Budyonnovsk, some 110 kilometres...
Arabs, Turks and other foreign fighters. Its Emirs were Ibn al-Khattab, ShamilBasayev who fought during the War in Dagestan. Many of the groups members were...
Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. He was a deputy of ShamilBasayev, and commissioner of Shalinsky and Vedensky Districts after being appointed...
supporting column during recent repairs. The Islamist Chechen rebel leader ShamilBasayev later claimed that he had paid $50,000 for the attack. Both the Akhmad...
Council, but he was ignored." On 7 August 1999, an Islamist group, led by ShamilBasayev and Ibn al-Khattab, invaded the Russian republic of Dagestan. The war...
group of Chechen militants led by Chechen commanders ShamilBasayev and Dokku Umarov. Basayev's main goal, besides capturing a large cache of weapons...
of Dudayev was announced on the interrupted television broadcast by ShamilBasayev, the Chechen guerrilla commander. Dudayev was succeeded by his Vice-President...
during the War in Abkhazia. The allies, commanded by the Chechen warlord ShamilBasayev, captured the town of Gagra from the undermanned Georgian forces (which...
separatists. In 2005 and 2006, separatist leaders Aslan Maskhadov and ShamilBasayev were killed. Since 2007, Chechnya has been governed by Ramzan Kadyrov...
Chechen militants leading the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade ShamilBasayev, Ibn al-Khattab, Ramzan Akhmadov and Arbi Barayev, invaded the neighboring...
Russian Federation (FSB) of being a key aide to Chechen rebel warlord ShamilBasayev in organizing the Beslan school hostage crisis. Russian investigators...
Brigade. The operation was led by Movsar Barayev. Military commander ShamilBasayev posted a statement on his website claiming ultimate responsibility for...
to 19 June 1995, when a group of 80 to 200 Chechen terrorists led by ShamilBasayev attacked the southern Russian city of Budyonnovsk, where they stormed...
region and associated themselves with Chechen rebels, most notably ShamilBasayev with whom Ibn al-Khattab build up a friendship. Many of them were veterans...
armed incursion of 1,500 Islamic radicals, led by Chechen warlord, ShamilBasayev, and Arab jihadist, Ibn al-Khattab, in support of a Dagestani separatist...