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Soviet Union Collapses and Chechnya declares independence
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First Chechen War Begins
An estimated 100,000 persons, many of them civilians, were killed in the 20-month war lasting from 1994 to 1996, which ended in a stunning victory by the Chechen insurgents. -
De Facto Independence Begins
A period of anarchy and lawlessness in which Chechnya had de fact independence from Russia -
Declaration of Shari'ah law in Chechnya
Chechen President Maskhadov (under pressure from Islamists like Shamil Basayev) declared that Shari’ah law would be phased in over three years -
Chechen rebels invade Dagestan
rebel leaders Basayev and Khattab launched a raid into neighboring Dagestan to recover former Chechen ethnic territory and to declare a reunited Islamic state. -
1999 Apartment bombings in Moscow
Two bombings of civilian apartment blocks in Moscow were blamed on Chechen rebels and served as the catalyst for Putin's launching of the 2nd Chechen War. -
Second Chechen War Begins
Russia invades Grozny (Chechen capital) and declares direct rule -
Fatwa issued legitimizing female suicide bomber
Abu Omar al-Seif, issued a fatwa legitimizing the first Chechen suicide attack by Khava Barayeva in June 2000. -
1st suicide bombing
First act of suicide bombing-2 Chechen women drove a truck with explosives into a Russian Special Forces HQ in Chechnya -
Human Rights Violations? International Community condemns Russian brutalism
2001 - Human rights organizations express concern about human rights violations in Chechnya, including alleged torture and widespread detentions at the hands of Russian troops. Concerns are fuelled by the discovery of a mass grave filled with mutilated bodies.
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Moscow Theatre Crisis
The Chechen "black widows" grab world attention following their seizure of over 1000 hostages in Moscow's Dubrovka theatre; Russian forces use poison gas and 123 die. -
A Bloody 2003
The year of 2003 was especially bloody due to many suicide bombings -
Beslan School Attack- Russia's Most Deadly Terrorist Attack
On September 1, 2004 30 armed insurgents, including two "black widows" seized a school in Beslan taking over 1000 hostages. A total of 330 hostages died including 186 children. -
President of Chechnya (Aslan Maskhadov) assassinated
Russian special forces assassinate Maskhadov leaving the Chechen separatist movement without a leader -
Changes in Chechen Leadership
Maskhadov's replacement, Abdul-Khalim Sadulayev is assasignated by Russian special forces in June.
Chechen rebel warlord Basayev is also killed in July.
Doku Umarov replaces Sadulayev as leader of the Chechen rebel forces -
New Counterterrorism Law
Russian antiterrorism law that not only criminalizes all usual forms of activity associated with terrorist attacks, but also "inciting" terrorism and "the propoganda of the idea of terrorism" -
Creation of the Caucasus Emirate
The then leader of the Chechen separatists, Doku Umarov, announced the creation of the Caucasus Emirate- a militant Jihadist organization.
This split the Chechen resistance movement between jihadists and secular separatists. -
Russia ends anti-terrorism operations in Chechnya
After two wars and a decade of strict security, Russia ends its counterterrorist operations in Chechnya, marking the end of the Kremlin's war and enhancing the power of the president, Ramzan Kadyrov.
[Link text] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/apr/16/russia-chechnya-anti-terrorism -
Chechnya's ISIS problem
Chechen law-enforcement agencies estimate that between three and four thousand Chechens have travelled to Iraq or Syria to join the group.
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