ROSTOV-ON-DON, June 25. /TASS/. The Southern District Military Court has sentenced two members of the notorious Basayev-Khattab gang, Takhir Begeldiev and Vakhit Khamzatkhanov, to 21 and 24 years in a strict regime penal colony, respectively. The convictions stem from their involvement in a deadly attack on Russian military personnel in Chechnya in 1999, an assault that resulted in 15 fatalities, according to a court spokesperson speaking to TASS.
Both men joined the gang in 1999. On October 4 of that year, a group of approximately 400 militants, including Begeldiev and Khamzatkhanov, ambushed soldiers from military unit 34605 in the village of Chervlennaya, Shelkovskoy district. The militants launched a coordinated attack using Kalashnikov rifles, grenade launchers, and explosive devices, killing 15 soldiers and injuring 28 others.
The court's verdict confirmed that both defendants actively participated in the assault, deliberately firing at Russian servicemen. Despite their involvement, neither admitted guilt during the proceedings.
Following their induction into the gang, Begeldiev and Khamzatkhanov received specialized training at a facility near Serzhen-Yurt in the Shali District of Chechnya. There, they acquired skills in operating various firearms and small arms. Law enforcement authorities apprehended Begeldiev on April 1, 2001, and Khamzatkhanov on July 12, 2003, effectively ending their criminal activities.
Khamzatkhanov's criminal record includes convictions for banditry, illegal arms trafficking, and attempted murder of military personnel, resulting in a total of 19.5 years of imprisonment. Begeldiev's criminal history encompasses illegal arms trafficking, armed rebellion, participation in an illegal armed group, and attempted murder, for which he received a 14-year sentence.