Chechens Deny Rebel Commander Is Dead

The Kremlin said Russian troops in Chechnya had killed Chechen field commander Shirvani Basayev, the brother of a key guerrilla leader in the breakaway province, but a Chechen spokesman denied he was dead. Russian officials said Basayev was “annihilated” in a special operation and had already been buried. Basayev’s killing would be a major success for Moscow, which has failed to kill or capture any of the most senior rebels since starting a campaign in September to crush them. Basayev’s brother, Shamil, has been Russia’s most wanted man since 1995.