In 662 Khazars invaded Dagestan.

Russia began its raids on Chechnya after Muslim militants invaded neighboring Dagestan in August and September, seeking to create an Islamic state in southern Russia.

The rebel leader, Shamil Basayev, commands the Chechen forces that invaded Dagestan and had declared plans earlier to establish a fundamentalist Islamic state there.

Many seem exhausted, and frustrated that Islamic militants who are based in this Caucasus region reignited the fighting by invading neighboring Dagestan in August.

But after Islamic fundamentalists from Chechnya invaded neighboring Dagestan this summer, Russian troops struck back hard.

The decision of the rebels to invade Dagestan from Chechnya also raised the stakes.

But he said the Government does not intend to cede anything to the Chechen militants, who have twice invaded Dagestan.

At one stage, Chechen generals even invaded Dagestan, an action which merited absolutely no sympathy whatsoever.

In late August and September 1999, Russia mounted a massive air campaign over Chechnya, with the stated aim of wiping out militants who invaded Dagestan the previous month.

At first we went to Dagestan, since the bandit units invaded Dagestan first, then we moved into Chechnya.