Leader of the Tabasaran militant group killed in Dagestan - National Antiterrorist Committee
MOSCOW. Aug 10 (Interfax) - Israfil Ismailov, leader of the Tabasaran militant group, has been killed in Dagestan, the National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC) has reported.
"In acting on intelligence indicating to the possible whereabouts of the leader of the Tabasaran criminal group acting in the republic, Dagestani security and police forces conducted a number of search operations in the early hours of August 10, in which his whereabouts was determined," the National Antiterrorist Committee said in a statement on Friday.
"The thug blockaded in a private house was advised to lay down his arms and surrender to the authorities. He opened fire in response and was killed by return fire," it said.
An assault rifle, a pistol, several grenades and ammunition were found at the scene.
"None was harmed among civilians and security forces. Further search operations and the necessary investigative procedures are under way now," the NAC said.
The Dagestani Interior Ministry said earlier that an active member of illegal armed group shad been killed after offering armed resistance in the Tabasaran district of Dagestan on Thursday evening. The incident took place not far from the village of Yersi at about 11:00 p.m. Thursday.
Ismailov was born in the village of Mamedkala, the Derbent district, in 1990. The NAC says he went underground in 2009.
According to information possessed by the NAC's local headquarters, Ismailov is responsible for numerous terrorist crimes, including the blowing up of a gas pipeline near the village of Gedzhukh in January 2010, firing at a police station in the village of Mamedkala in June 2011, the killing of a huntsman in Gedzhukh in April 2012, and preparations for a terrorist attack using an improvised explosive device made out of a 200-liter barrel stuffed with shrapnel, which the law enforcement agencies prevented in June this year.