Reward for information on Chechen militants' ringleader announced

The Regional Joint Staff for carrying out the counter terrorist operation in the Northern Caucasus announced a reward of 100,000 dollars for information about a leader of Chechen militants, Abu Al Valid, spokesman for the Regional Operations Staff for carrying out the counter terrorist operation in the Northern Caucasus Ilya Shabalkin told RIA Novosti on Friday.

Mercenary Abu Al Valid who comes from an Arab country is a deputy of leader of Chechen separatists Aslan Maskhadov. According to the federal forces' information, he answers for the financing of the bandit formations from abroad.

"Individuals who will assist in neutralizing militant Abu Al Valid or provide information on his whereabouts will receive a reward of 100,000 dollars or 3 million roubles," Shabalkin said.

He explained that money will be allocated from the financial resources found in militant Tazabayev's caches in Grozny on November 1.

"With a view to informing the public at large about the action the law-enforcement bodies are taking and the size of the reward, the circulation of leaflets carrying a photograph of Abu al-Valid and information on him has started in different districts of the republic," Shabalkin added.

The leaflets tell about the brutal crimes committed by the mercenary and his accomplices. Listed among them are the murder of well-known religious figure Sayed-Pasha Salikhov and 82-year-old elder Khumid Visaitov, and the terrorist acts in Znamenskaya village and near Ilaskhan-Yurt village during a religious holiday.