 Chechen insurgents vowed Wednesday to wage an Islamic "holy war" against Russian control of the republic after separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov was slain by Russian special forces. Russian officials, however, predicted that Maskhadov's death Tuesday would deal a sharp setback to insurgents in the mainly Muslim republic who are seeking independence. Aslambek Aslakhanov, an adviser to President Vladimir Putin, said he believed the leading rebels "will now enter a fray to take Maskhadov's place," but none would be able to match the former leader's ability to attract foreign political and financial support. "The destruction of Maskhadov therefore will reduce the funding of gangs," he said.
Guerrilla spokesman Movladi Udugov, in a statement posted on a rebel website, said Maskhadov's death does give Putin a fresh argument to use in refusing to negotiate with the rebels, Udugov added, because, "There is, indeed, no one to have talks with in Chechnya anymore." The result, he said, will be continued war. Maskhadov was killed in the village of Tolstoy-Yurt, about 12 miles north of Grozny, the Chechen capital. Authorities said the homeowner and three other people, associates or bodyguards of the Chechen leader, were captured. The daily newspaper Kommersant, citing a participant in the assault, said soldiers had broken in the door of the house and detained the homeowner, described as a relative of Maskhadov.
| Perhaps they should start visiting the relatives of Basayev? |
The owner confirmed that the insurgent chief was in the bunker, the paper reported. Negotiations were held for nearly an hour, Kommersant said. Maskhadov refused to surrender, but the three other people emerged and the special forces then threw in grenades, according to Chechen Interior Minister Ruslan Alkhanov as quoted by Kommersant. However, a pro-Moscow Chechen official said Tuesday that the military had intended to capture Maskhadov and that he had been killed by a bullet fired by one of his own bodyguards.
| That actually sounds more likely to me... |
Ramzan Kadyrov, first deputy prime minister of the pro-Kremlin Chechen administration, said Maskhadov's death would free forces to search for the most radical leader, Shamil Basayev. |