The uprising, led by the Naqshbandi brotherhood that had earlier supported Imam Shamil, began in September 1920, and by the end of the year the rebels controlled most of mountains of Dagestan.

While Bolshevik Red Army troops greatly outnumbered the rebels, most of them were Russians who knew little of the local geography, and especially of mountain warfare.

Red Army officers made a number of costly mistakes which hindered progress in defeating the rebellion.

The road crossed the canyon at the Salti Bridge west of Khanzhalmikhe, south of which was the Russian fort of Gunib.

Sources note that Red Army armored cars presented a difficulty to the rebels, who lacked effective anti-tank weaponry.

Early in September rebel bands began crossing the main mountain chain from Menshevik controlled Georgia into the upper valleys of the Andi and Avar Koysus.

The Reds responded by moving an inadequate force of about 1000 men up a defensive line around Botlikh-Khunzakh-Gunib.

About the same time the Khunzakh force tried to move south and had to fight its way back with heavy loss.

On 9 October the rebels captured the Salti bridge, cutting communication between Khunzakh and Gunib, partially besieging them.

After 4 November the Red Army brought 2 more regiments under command of Tadorsky from Baku in order to relieve forces at Gunib and Khunzakh.

On 9–16 November the so-called First Model Revolutionary Discipline Rifle Regiment went south from Grozny and occupied Botlikh without much trouble.

They went further downstream to Ortakolo, were surrounded by rebels, including the enraged population of Muni, and were killed to the last man.

Botlikh was surrounded, surrendered and all the disarmed Red soldiers (around 700) were slaughtered, with only a few escaping to Grozny.

(Broxup says that all the commissars and officers were executed and the enlisted men stripped naked and left to freeze to death).