Two masked criminals muder Makhachkala vice mayor and his spouse

On Tuesday morning, first vice mayor of Makhachkala Ahmed Aliyev was killed in Dagestan /a North Caucasus republic neighbouring Chechnya/. According to the republic's law-enforcers, the incident took place in Aliyev's house at about 9a.m. Moscow time when he was getting ready for work.

According to some sources, two pistols were found at the site of the incident.

Before the murder, the vice-mayor's driver took Aliyev's elder son to school, while the younger son and his parents were at home. Aliyev's wife answered the doorbell. The criminals shot her and then Aliyev, but didn't touch the son.

To quote the child, there were two masked criminals. Policemen found camouflage clothes in the neighbours' kitchen garden.

The criminals are assumed to have known the family of the vice-mayor.

This is one of the sensational murders recently committed in Dagestan. Last December, criminals killed deputy chairman of the People's Assembly of Dagestan Arsen Kamayev.

In 2001 murder attempts were committed on the life of chairman of the People's Assembly Mukha Aliyev and chairman of the government Khizri Shikhsaidov. Magomedsalikh Gusayev, minister for the national policy, information and foreign ties, has been wounded in a leg by an explosion. Over the past 8-9 years, more than ten attempts have been made on the life of the incumbent head of the Makhachkala administration, Said Amirov, who earlier held high posts, too.