Minister for Chechnya: Paymasters and planners of terrorist act in Chechnya were Basayev and Maskhadov

The paymasters and planners of a terrorist attack in the Znamenskoye village were most likely Shamil Basayev and Aslan Maskhadov, Russia's Minister for Chechnya Stanislav Ilyasov told journalists on Tuesday.

"Possible participants may be international terrorists who as a rule take part in all major terrorist attacks," the minister noted.

Ilyasov also expressed confidence that the planners would be taken to justice "under the strictest laws for people to see and know that the blood and deaths will not go unpunished." Meanwhile, within the next two days the Russian government will decide on compensations for the families of the dead and injured in the terrorist act at Znamenskoye. Ilyasov said that appropriate recommendations were drawn up at a meeting held on the Russian president's instructions. The minister also said that sums of compensations to restore the damaged housing would be determined before the weekend.