Russian forces killed Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev in an overnight operation in the republic of Ingushetia, the head of Russia's Federal Security Service told President Vladimir Putin on July 10. The elusive Basayev had been reported killed several times before, only to turn up alive. Putin, however, had never publicly acknowledged the reports. Basayev was to the Russians in the North Caucasus what Abu Musab al-Zaraqwi was to the United States in Iraq: a frustratingly successful rebel leader who personified jihadist violence. The killing of al-Zarqawi, however, was the result of a deal between the United States and Iraq's Sunni and Shiite political factions, making it significant more on the political, rather than the military, front. Basayev's death, on the other hand, will have a major effect on the Chechen insurgency's ground operations in the North Caucasus. Basayev, who has a $10 million price on his head, had long been Russia's public enemy No. 1. Although he had minimal experience in the Soviet military, he was an accomplished rebel leader who demonstrated a high level of tactical skill. He also thought big — planning and carrying out elaborate attacks such as the Moscow theater siege in October 2002, the double airline suicide bombings in August 2004, a suicide bombing in the Moscow Metro in August 2004 and, most notoriously, the Beslan school siege in September 2004. Basayev had led the jihadist faction of the Chechen militants for several years, and since his competition was eliminated with the death of Chechen nationalist leader Aslan Maskhadov in March 2005, he had exerted substantially more control over the entire Chechen insurgency. With the demise of both the nationalist and jihadist elements of the Chechen insurgency, the leadership is in the hands of the less-capable, second-tier leaders. Basayev's elimination will affect the Chechen insurgency in the same way the killing of several al Qaeda leaders on the Arabian Peninsula affected the jihadist movement in Saudi Arabia. The early leaders of the jihadist network's operations in Saudi Arabia — those who had skills and knew what they were doing — carried out attacks in Riyadh, Jeddah and other locations. As the Saudi security forces killed them off, less-experienced commanders have taken over, resulting in fewer successful attacks. Russian successes in Chechnya, including the systematic elimination of rebel leaders, have forced Chechen rebels to take their fight against the Russians to other theaters, especially Dagestan and Ingushetia. Some Chechen fighters have left the region entirely, going to Western Europe, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Yet, Basayev was an effective commander whose death will deal a significant blow to the Chechen insurgency. Although the insurgents are not about to give up a fight they have waged for generations, it will take time to replace Basayev. Given the constant Russian pressure, they might not have that kind of time.