Top warlord claims killing of Chechen president

Top warlord claims killing of Chechen president

Associated Press

Moscow — A top rebel warlord has claimed responsibility for a bomb attack that killed Chechnya's Moscow-backed leader, Akhmad Kadyrov, and pledged to continue attacks against the Russian authorities, according to a statement released Monday.

Warlord Shamil Basayev, who calls himself Abdullah Shamil Abu Idris, claimed responsibility for the May 9 attack in a statement that was posted Monday on a rebel website, calling it a “small, but important victory.” He said that other such operations against Russia's so-called collaborators in Chechnya were in the making.

Mr. Kadyrov was killed by a bomb at a stadium in Grozny where he and other dignitaries were attending a ceremony marking Victory Day, the holiday commemorating Hitler's defeat. In all, the explosion killed six people and wounded nearly 60, including the top Russian military commander in Chechnya, who lost his leg.

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