Basayev boasts of rebel attack on Russian city

Russia's most wanted man, the Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, has claimed responsibility for last week's massive rebel assault in southern Russia.

In a statement on a rebel website, Basayev hailed the attack on Nalchik as a success but claimed his fighters had sustained heavy losses because of a "serious" information leak five days before the attack. The leak allowed the Russian forces to draft in an extra 1,000 special forces in preparation, he said.

Basayev claimed to have been in "overall command" of the operation and presented fatality figures that contradicted official figures.

He claimed that 41 of his fighters had died but said they had killed about 140 members of the law enforcement authorities and destroyed several helicopters. The Russians say they killed 91 gunmen, captured another 36, and lost 35 of their own men and nine civilians. Basayev said that 217 "mujahedin" took part in the assault.

"Despite the heavy losses, the operation was successful for us, because our dead have gone to paradise, Inshallah, whereas their dead have gone to hell," Basayev said. "The outstanding courage and heroism of our brothers in Nalchik gives us the confidence and resolve to continue the struggle to victory."

Yesterday it was reported that most of the gunmen who took part in last Thursday's attack were not Chechens but disgruntled locals from the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria where Nalchik is located.