Shamil Salmanovich Basayev (Chechen: ?????? ??????, Russian: ?????? ?????????? ??????; 14 January 1965 – 10 July 2006) was a leader of the Chechen movement.
Starting as a field commander in the Transcaucasus, Basayev led guerrilla campaigns against Russian forces for years, as well as launching mass-hostage takings of civilians, with his goal being the withdrawal of Russian soldiers from Chechnya.
Beginning in 2003, Basayev used the nom de guerre and title of "Emir Abdallah Shamil Abu-Idris".
In 1997–1998 he also served as vice-Prime minister of Chechnya in Maskhadov's government.
Basayev was considered by some to be the undisputed leader of the radical wing of the Chechen insurgency.
He ordered the Beslan school massacre and was responsible for numerous terrorists attacks on security forces in and around Chechnya and the 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis.
ABC News described him as "one of the most-wanted terrorists in the world."Controversy still surrounds who is responsible for his death, Russian FSB authorities took responsibility for the assassination while the Chechen fighters claiming he died in an accidental explosion.