Battle for Argun

On 6 January, in heavy snowfall, Ramzan Akhmadov's detachment descended to Shali and settled for the night in the territory of an abandoned huge industrial zone of a Pipe Factory. At that time the Russian command received information that a group of militants had been spotted on the territory of the plant. Three BMPs with Ulyanovsk and Yakutian OMON officers were sent to check this information. In the course of the battle two BMPs were burnt down, three fighters from the 74th Brigade were captured and 9 OMON officers and soldiers were killed. After the battle, artillery fired on the factory, but Ramzan Akhmadov's detachment had already left the site.^[1][3]

On 9 January, Ramzan Akhmadov's detachments entered the city of Argun from several sides and captured the city. At that time there were about 200 OMON (military police) soldiers in the surrounded buildings of the railway station and the commandant's office. Having learnt how many soldiers were in the commandant's base, Akhmadov subjected the building to heavy shelling and refused to storm it. Those who were surrounded urgently called for help. However, all attempts (counter attack) by Russian troops to make their way into Argun were repelled by the Islamic Brigade under the command of Ibn al-Khattab, who was operating on the outskirts of the city of Argun.^[1]

Having fulfilled their plan to divert the attention of Russian troops from the encircled city of Grozny, Ramzan Akhmadov's and Khattab's detachments retreated from Argun on 11 January, but minor fighting in the city continued for a couple of days. It is reported that during the retreat they organised the withdrawal of the wounded Shamil Basayev to the mountains. Ramzan Akhmadov later recalled that due to extreme fatigue they overturned the stretcher on which they were carrying Basayev several times.^[1]

• Battles for Argun on YouTube