Conversation so far:
What is al-Khattab's connection to central asia?
At the age of 18, Khattab left Saudi Arabia to participate in the fight against the Soviet Union during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
What else did he do?
During this time, he permanently incapacitated his right hand and lost several fingers.
What happened after this?
Khattab, while leader of Islamic International Brigade, publicly admitted that he spent the period between 1989 and 1994 in Afghanistan.
When did he enter the Balkans?
in 1992 he was one of many Chechen volunteers who aided Azerbaijan in the embattled region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
What did he do here?
he allegedly met Shamil Basayev.
What did he do with Basayev?
the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense denied any involvement by Khattab in the Nagorno-Karabakh war.
What was the result of this?
CANNOTANSWER.

Question: What else is interesting about this time?
Self-contained rewrite: What else is interesting about time other than al-Khattab being in the Balkans?