Special operation to eliminate the leader of the Chechen militants Baraev
TEAM RECEIVED
After 2000, the counterterrorist operation in Chechnya entered a new stage, when the reins of power were handed over to the FSB. It was after this that the special services seriously began developing the most odious field commanders of Chechnya. The first was Arbi Barayev. The choice fell on him not by chance. First of all, Barayev is the most, as they say, “frostbitten” of all Chechen field commanders. Without any ceremony, he shot, at the slightest suspicion of cooperating with the federal authorities, not only ordinary residents of Chechnya, but even his own militants. The number of people killed by them has long exceeded one hundred. Barayev with his gang was the main kidnapper in Chechnya. It was he who shot two Englishmen and a New Zealander, and then threw the severed heads onto the road.
Even supporters did not understand him. In 1998, Barayev organized a Wahhabi mutiny in Gudermes. For this, A. Maskhadov deprived him of his awards and the rank of brigadier general, as well as the position of commander of the “Islamic Regiment of Special Purpose”, which Barayev commanded from the middle of the first Chechen campaign. In retaliation, Barayev organized an assassination attempt on Maskhadov and openly declared a break in relations with him.
An attempt was also made on Barayev, after which a lung and part of his stomach were removed. Doctors literally pulled the bandit out of the grave.
At that time, the influence of the Chechen field commander was determined by the availability of money that he could pay to his militants. Barayev had enough money. The only ideology and god he worshiped was money. He did not disdain to accept them either from Maskhadov, with whom he officially broke, or from the Wahhabis, to whom he did not belong.
In mid-February, 2001 of the year received a command from certain FSB structures to develop an operation to physically eliminate, first of all, Arbi Barayev.
DEVELOPMENT
The work of identifying its base was very hard. Possessing a truly bestial instinct, Barayev hid himself quite skillfully. Only the fact that he used about forty caches in different districts and settlements of Chechnya to hide from federal forces and special services speaks for itself. He could sit with his closest entourage at the table and for no reason at all take one or two associates or just guards with him and disappear in an unknown direction. After a few hours or even days, he either called or via a messenger informed that he was there. He informed about the time of gathering in one place or another, even to those around him, even to such commanders like Gelayev, Basayev or Khattab, at the very last moment. Barayev personally executed some of his friends and associates on suspicion or slander.
On the other hand, precisely because Barayev was afraid of absolutely everything and very many hated, information about his appearance in a given locality came to counterintelligence officers quite regularly. Moreover, it was not the FSB agents whom he was so afraid of reporting about this. They told the ordinary residents of Chechnya, because this thug they already pretty tired.
COVERED
Many people consider an oversight by the special services that Barayev was not taken alive. But the fact is that from the very beginning no one planned to take him prisoner. In this capacity, he is not interesting to anyone. As an informant, Barayev could hardly be useful. And no one needs to tinker with the seizure, to risk people in order to later shoot a scumbag.
The difficulty was that Barayev was not in one place for more than ten hours. It is for this reason that the operation to eliminate it, scheduled for April, failed. Feeling that he was being surrounded more and more tightly, Barayev tried to escape. He planned to leave for Turkey through the territory of Georgia. However, you will not plan such an action as a border crossing alone, and you will not spend it. In addition, for its implementation also takes time. Counterintelligence learned very quickly about all the far-reaching plans of Barayev. Barayev’s two attempts to cross the border failed. True, he himself did not fall into the trap of counterintelligence. But in the current situation it was already a matter of time.
When developing the operation, there was one thing that made life easier for the FSB officers. Barayev constantly returned to "his collective farm." Alkhan-Kala remained the main village of its base. The militants had a clear plan for moving from the areas not yet cleaned to the village to those where the sweep had already been completed. Moving in this way, Barayev absolutely believed in his elusiveness. Once he boastfully talked on his mobile phone for more than an hour, as he strokes the feds around his finger. But over time, the list of houses where Barayev periodically hid was becoming ever clearer. It became clear that in order to capture or destroy him, a tough blockade of the entire village would be required.
24 June from local residents received information that Arbi Barayev and with him about twenty militants are hiding in Alkhan-Kala. There were even indicated the houses where the militants were supposed to be.
FIRST SEARCH FRUIT
Since the development of the operation has been going on for several months, the forces and funds allocated for its implementation were in readiness. To block the ways of withdrawal from the village at several points, special forces of the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the GRU were involved. In total, the operation involved about five hundred people. There was no “planned sweep” that the television reported about, it was Barayev who was looking for. Although it was really quite ostentatiously carried out the blocking of the entire village, even driving a tank. The calculation was that Barayev would not leave Alkhan-Kala again, hoping for his luck. But this time they chose a slightly different tactic. Clearing the village conducted on the principle of "clean and secure." After the wave of the stripping units passed, in each house there were two or three special forces in order to exclude the possibility of Barayev’s return.
No one limited the operation time. Having received clear information that Barayev was in the village, and blocking all exits from it, they decided to “clean” Alkhan-Kala until the object of the search was found. The first day did not give anything. At night, the special forces from the houses went to the blocking units. On the second day it was the same. But other people were already walking into the houses in order to identify with their fresh eyes any traces or signs that had escaped the attention of their predecessors.
The second day of the operation brought the first results. It was possible to destroy two militants who ran from house to house. Then another - in the house. It became clear that the actions are conducted correctly and the result should be. At nightfall, the troops again left the village. The third day of the operation brought real luck. In addition to the destruction of five more militants, they managed to take a prisoner. As it turned out, he was the closest associate of Barayev and was always close to Arbi. And if so, this means that Barayev is still in the village and should be looking for him in the area where the prisoner was taken.
SEARCH CIRCLE IS SUGGESTED
The necessary houses were located in the stripping zone of the special-purpose unit “Rus”. Blocked three houses that were near the place of capture of the militant. One of the houses was previously indicated by informants as a possible place where Barayev is hiding. When they went inside the house, they found no one. A more thorough check also gave nothing. But the search continued. During the next check, one of the special forces, passing by the cabinet, heard a suspicious creak. Pulling the wardrobe, saw Laz, from which they immediately hit from the machine guns. As it turned out, under the cabinet was the entrance to the caches, equipped under the house. Moreover, the caches were prepared in the mid-nineties. The caches had a second exit. The officer and the fighter were injured, and one commando was killed. It was not possible to penetrate inside the caches. The commandos jumped out of the house, drove the BTR off to a hundred and fifty meters and began shooting the house out of KPVT. At the same time, it was broadcast on the radio that during the sweep they had encountered fierce resistance. Special forces of the FSB rushed to their aid. Entering from the left flank, they opened fire on the militants entrenched in the house, and then released two Bumblebees. As a result, the automatic fire died down, and the house caught fire. It was already dark, and there was no time to inspect the fire. Send away
HURRY UP - MAKE YOUR PEOPLE
On the fourth day of the operation, three bodies were found in the basement of the house. By indirect signs, one of them reminded Barayev, but it was difficult to identify precisely, since half of the head was missing. Some of the witnesses confirmed that it was Barayev. The body on the armor was delivered to the command post, and the press was quick to report that Barayev was dead. But later, with more thorough identification, they managed to establish that it was not Barayev, but one of his fighters, who was identified by relatives. So there was a pause when no one really knew if Barayev died or was alive.
FSB officers continued to search. On closer inspection, abundant traces of blood were found on the fence in front of the burned house, leading to the shore of the Sunzha River. It was suggested that Barayev tried to swim by swimming. Judging by the amount of blood, he was wounded seriously. They decided to look for a doctor who could help Barayev.
BARAEV IS DEAD, BUT WHERE IS A CORE?
In the end, they managed to establish a person who was really trying to help the seriously wounded Barayev. But, according to him, Barayev was no longer a tenant. Where the body went, he did not know, only indicated the place where he was trying to help the wounded - a table in the garden of the neighboring house. But the owner of the house did not say what happened to Barayev. Conversations with the elders also led nowhere, although they confirmed that Barayev was dead. Even the dead were still afraid of him and refused to hand over the body. Only a few hours later, after painful negotiations, the owner of the house showed where the body of the gangster lies.
On the fifth day of the special operation, the body of Barayev was found under a pile of cob brick. The cache was made very carefully. First, the entire brick was removed, then the body was laid, and then it was laid with a brick. Traces of the work were swept away, and a brick to give the original appearance of the ruins was covered with dust.
* * *
After being identified, Barayev’s body was given to his relatives so that they would bury him according to Muslim laws. However, the residents of Alkhan-Kala did not allow the funeral procession and did not allow to bury Barayev at the village cemetery. They considered that the body of this gangster would defile the graves of their ancestors. The procession unfolded, and the body of the most frostbitten of all Chechen gangsters was interred in the village of Gekhi.
Who is next?..
Information