The First Chechen War left Chechnya in chaos. The region fell into the hands of warlords and former separatist fighters, many of whom now turned to crime. By 1996, this instability had spread to the neighbouring Russian Republic of Dagestan where a bomb blew up an apartment block killing 68 people, mainly Russian border guards. More attacks occurred the following year, by which time Chechnya had declared itself an Islamic republic and was attracting jihadist groups from across Central Asia.
Things came to a head in 1999With Russia under new management, however, the stage was now set for the events that would lead to the Second Chechen War.
