According to a press release from the Chechen Interior Ministry, on or around 17 January 2013 a well-camouflaged guerrilla base was discovered in a gorge in the Shatoi district.[17] Over the next six days a search operation was carried out in the area; on 23 January a group of gunmen opened fire on police near Elistanzhi - Gakayev's native village - killing two and injuring six.[18] Fighting continued the following day with insurgents in the heavily forested mountains of the Vedensky district. According to Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov, a prolonged conversation took place with the militants via radio.[17] Given the chance to surrender, Gakayev refused while offering to release the younger militants among his group who had yet to commit serious crimes.[17] Kadyrov claimed that the insurgents then began firing on Russian forces, at which point it was decided to destroy the group.[17]