Terror attacks' mastermind killed in Ingushetia

Gang leader Ahmed Basnukayev, one of the organizers of terrorist attacks in Moscow and in Russia's south - the Stavropol territory, Ingushetia and Chechnya - was killed in Ingushetia (republic in Russia's Southern federal district bordering on Chechnya), said the press service of the regional operational HQ for the counter terrorist operation in the North Caucasus.

Basnukayev (born in 1963) was the so-called "brigadier general" and commander of the "Urus Martan front". He was directly subordinate to Aslan Maskhadov and Shamil Basayev. The militant made part of the supreme body supervising bandit underground "Majlis ul shury of Mujaheddin", in fact controlled by mercenary Arab Abu al Valid. Maskhadov, Basayev and others are just puppets in his hands, said the headquarters.

Basnukayev was on the wanted list for over 30 murders committed by him, as well as terrorist acts and other crimes that killed over 200 people, said the HQ.

According to the press center, FSB officers got to know the route Basnukayev was following. To intercept him, a checkpoint was set up on the road that stopped and blocked the car with the bandit and his accomplice. Basnukayev put up armed resistance and was killed.

Eight kilograms of plastic explosives were discovered in a cache inside of the car. The explosives were meant for producing makeshift explosive devices.

In the beginning of 1990s, Basnukayev and his brothers were involved with apartment seizures in Grozny. He killed apartment owners and took their property.

Basnukayev's gang acted in the Urus Martan and Achkhoi Martan districts of Chechnya. The militants perpetrated many terrorist attacks, they kidnapped people to get ransom, said the press center.

Basnukayev maintained contact with Chechen terrorists Doku Umarov, Arbi Barayev, as well as Arab mercenaries Hattab, Abu Umar and Abu Al Valid.

According to reliable information, and to evidence given by a member of the illegal armed formation, Basnukayev was one of the masterminds of all the latest large scale terrorist attacks perpetrated in Moscow, the Stavropol territory, Ingushetia and Chechnya.

Basnukayev, together with other leaders of illegal military formations, in particular, with Rappani Khalilov, is involved with kidnapping General Shpigun, a Russian interior ministry representative in the Chechen republic, as well as with the May 9, 2002 terrorist attack in Kaspiisk (Dagestan), said the HQ.

Basnukayev recently was preparing an attempt on one of the first leaders of the Chechen republic, said the press center.