 In August 2006, rebel commander Isa Muskiev said the federals and the "kadyrovtsy" lost five men killed in the shootout, one of them shot by Sadulayev personally, and three fighters escaped.The killing of Sheikh Abdul Halim was trumpeted by leaders of the Russian-backed official government of the province, claiming that the separatist forces there had been dealt a "decapitating" blow "from which they will never recover.