Gelayev's relative denies information about Dokku Umarov's implication in field commander's death

In his interview with the Caucasian Knot correspondent on April 24, a close relative of the notorious Chechen commander Khamzat (Ruslan) Gelayev, who was killed in Dagestani mountains in February 2004, called the information on the implication of Dokku Umarov, another field commander, in Gelayev's death, which was spread by the Russian media, "a lie and nonsense". "By such a primitive means, they want to sow seeds of distrust and animosity among Chechen commanders," he said. "Khamzat and Dokku were in command of different military directions. They respected each other. When Khamzat was killed, Dokku declared blood feud against the Russian military," the man said.

Gelayev and Umarov belong to two related Chechen families, which plays considerable role in the republic as well.

Republican law-enforcement agencies have another point of view. "Baudi Khadzhiyev, detained in the village of Tevzen-Kale, Chechnya's Vedeno district, was a member of Gelayev's bandit unit. He one more time confirmed the information we had had before that it had been Umarov who prompted Gelayev's "Dagestani campaign". Now this Ichkerian brigadier general has "legal grounds" to claim for the control over Gelayev's bands, which are "derelict". And it isn't surprising at all that Umarov simply left Gelayev vulnerable. The amount of financial resources received by illegal armed units in Chechnya has considerably reduced lately, which has led to serious dissension between field commanders," said an officer of the Chechen interior ministry.

Editors note: See also the article "FSB confirms Gelayev's death".