He came home to a Chechnya in turmoil. Dzhokhar Dudayev had started a rebellion against Soviet, later Russian rule, but the Northern part of Chechnya where Kakiyev hailed from was not so enthusiastic about the secession. After allegedly witnessing atrocities, Kakiyev joined the opposition against Dudaev. In 1993 he was seriously hurt when his grenade launcher exploded during an assassination attempt on Dudayev. He lost his left hand, an eye, and his nose and had to have his face reconstructed beyond recognition at a hospital in Moscow.