Start date June 25, 2001 | ||
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The Alkhan-Kala operation was a week-long military "cleansing" operation (zachistka, Russian: зачистка) by the Russian special forces in Chechnya starting on 25 June 2001. Arbi Barayev, a Chechen insurgent commander and organized crime leader, was killed during the operation in the village of Alkhan-Kala near Grozny.
The battle lasted for days and resulted in massive destruction. House-to-house fighting left dozens of houses destroyed and about "Barayev's accomplices" were killed, according to the Russian officials. Some 800 villagers were taken into the custody.
Barayev had been the most senior rebel leader to have been killed or captured by the Russians since the Second Chechen War began. According to some reports, Barayev was captured alive by his Chechen blood enemies in the GRU, and died at the Khankala military base "after long torture".