Al-Sudani was killed in a special operation by Russian security forces in the mountainous Vedeno district of Chechnya on 8 June 2010.[1] Members of the Federal Security Service (FSB), Interior Ministry (MVD), and local law enforcement officers from the Kurchaloi district had been conducting an operation in the southern mountains of Chechnya beginning on 8 May and code-named "Retribution;"[4] its targets were allegedly Muhannad, al-Sudani and Chechen field commander Khuseyn Gakayev.[5] Al-Sudani was among a group of Islamic radicals detected and then surrounded in a densely forested area on 8 June;[1] following a series of clashes that lasted several hours, the bodies of eight militants were recovered.[4] One of those slain was identified by his call-sign of "Forest Lion" and was known to be al-Sudani's top aide[6] and someone that Ramzan Kadyrov claimed never left his side,[2] leading to suspicion that the Sudanese commander had been among those killed. The following day an insurgent captured after the battle said that al-Sudani had been seriously wounded and shortly thereafter died; he also said that the militants had buried al-Sudani themselves, before leading Russian security forces to the site of his grave.[5]