Burakhlya detained - Basayev's Destroyer
Svetlana ORLOVA, 17 September, 09.24
In the north Caucasus an Arab mercenary by the name of Abu Muskhab was detained. "According to preliminary information, which requires additional checking, the detained person is Kamal Burakhlya, date of birth 1958, citizen of Algiers," Major-General Il'ya Shabalkin, representative of the north Caucasus regional operational counter-terrorism headquarters (ROSh), reported.
Before his appearance in Chechnya, the fighter lived for almost ten years in Great Britain, and had on him all required documents granting him legal residence in that nation. "According to the fighter, he was recruited in a London mosque near Finsbury park. There is an on-going recruitment of mercenaries who came from countries of the near east," reported Shabalkin.
The mercenary appeared in Chechnya in 2001 and was at first in Khattab's band. After it's destruction by Russian special forces, Burakhlya joined a band of Arab mercenaries run by Abu-al Valida, but recently joined Shamil Basayev's group, were he was a "demolisher".
For a long time he has been on the federal wanted list and was arrested while attempting to cross the Russian-Azerbaidzhanian border. He was planning on getting medical treatment for wounds in Azerbaidzhan.
During a medical examination, it was shown that he had a bullet wound in the chest. "Unfortunately, a lot of Chechnyan mercenaries, as well as mercenaries working in Chechnya, often use Azerbaidzhan for recuperation after receiving wounds in Chechnya, " noted Shabalkin. For now, investigative bodies are conducting an "active interrogation" of the extremist.
In the words of the ROSh representative, the number of Arab mercenaries in Chechnya consists of 200 to 300 persons and hasn't changed in recent days. "Some of the mercenary fighters were liquidated by armed forces, but there is information that new groups of 5-10 persons are illegally entering from outside of our borders," he declared.
Meanwhile the hunt goes on for Basayev, who took responsibility today from the latest terror acts performed in Russia. Thus far, even man's inherent thirst for profit has not helped. Recall that the Russian special services, who have still not been able to catch the head of the Chechnyan terrorists by their own, after a series of monstrous terror acts have decided to acquire help from anyone interested. The government has promised to pay 300 million rubels (about $10 million) for adequate information as to the whereabouts of Shamil Basayev and Aslan Maskhadov. Anyone having information is requested to call in Moscow: 914-43-69 (round the clock), in the Chechnyan republic: 8-8712-222-762, 8-928-290-06-10 (round the clock), 8-8712-222-510, or any territorial organ of the FSB in Russia. A week after the government made this announcement, about one hundred calls were recorded. Data which accurately indicated the terrorists' location, however, hasn't yet been received.
Only hope remains for the troopers. Since the tragedy in Beslan in the Caucasus, the Kremlin has ordered into action "flying" special forces, who have been charged with the hunt for terrorists. The group is made up of hitherto unprecedented - by Russian standards - mobile and effective new subdivisions. One must assume that the special forces will have their equipment "at full steam" and are able in the shortest time enter that or any other region of Chechnya, Ingushetia or Dagestan, to set up an ambush, block a group of terrorists or even carry out an arrest of a leading figure. Apparantly, the special units are set up with a concrete mission: reveal and destroy Basayev, Maskhadov, and other field commanders of lessor rank presenting a serious threat to the citizens of Russia. It's difficult to imagine how many more "magas", "colonels", and "movsar basayevs" remain in the terrorists' cartridge belt.
I can't find my dictionary, the word podryvnik ("demolisher") may also mean demolitions expert. BrooklynGOP may know more.