[1][2][3] While on his way to the Kumyk town Endirey, Douglas received false information that the rebel army, knowing of the arrival of Russian troops, dispersed throughout the region.

Deceived by the false news, Douglas only sent 500 soldiers (300 Russian troops, 200 Cossacks) led by Colonel Kokh to the rebellious town of Chechen–Aul, while he and the main army remained at Endirey.

However, after entering the dense forest next to Chechen–Aul, the detachment was suddenly surrounded and ambushed by Chechen fighters led by Aidemir himself.

[7] "One must think, firstly," wrote Zisserman, "that Douglas succumbed to a false rumor about the flight of the enemy crowd, and secondly, that he had no idea about the forest war with the Chechens, deciding to send 500 men, instead of going with the entire column, and thirdly some kind of disorder occurred during the retreat, otherwise it is difficult to explain to oneself such a relatively significant loss."

However, the death of Khasbulat led to the weakening of the state and further conflicts between the Aidemirovs and Khasbulatovs would be one of the main reason for the principality's collapse.