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Destroyed KB militants were members of Elbrus terrorist group

The gunmen were destroyed in a special operation in the republic's Elbrus district on September 20-21

MOSCOW, September 21 (Itar-Tass) — Investigators ascertained the identities of the militants destroyed in a recent special operation in the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. They were members of the Elbrus sabotage/terrorist group, and one of them had been on the federal wanted list for murders of police personnel and agents of the Federal Security Service.

"The gunmen were destroyed in a special operation in the republic's Elbrus district on September 20-21," a representative of the National Anti-terrorist Committee (NAK) told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

"Today, the authorities resumed the phase of the special operation that began in Akhmatov Street in the village of Bylym on September 20. Demolition experts of the Federal Security Service and Interior Ministry's experts with sniffer dogs inspected the rooms of the house demolished as a result of the clash.

They found the body of yet another gangster, and an assault rifle, ammunition and grenades on him. In all, two gunmen have been destroyed in the special operation," the NAK official said.

According to the NAK's branch in Kabardino-Balkaria, the gunmen were activists of the Elbrus sabotage/terrorist group. Their identities have been established.

Akhmat Katsiyev has been on the federal wanted list for participation in illegal paramilitary formations. In August 2010, he was an accomplice to the murder in the Chegem district of the Petrukhiny couple, who were FSB agents for the Krasnodar Territory. In the Dzhily-su land, Zolsky district, he abetted the murder of head of the inspectorate of the Interior Ministry's headquarters for Dagestan, police Colonel Emin Ibragimov and a Rostov-on-Don resident.

Police also have information on his involvement in the murder of police Lieutenant Mukhtar Baichekuyev in the Tyzyl Gorge and Kendelen village resident Viktor Veremeyev, as well as in the murder of chairman of Savings Bank's branch in the Elbrus district Akhmat Dottuyev in October 2010.

The second destroyed gunman is Kamil Mirzayev. He was an activist of the same gang and offered his home to the gunmen as a shelter.

Aside from a series of murders, the destroyed gunmen were involved in a number of high-profile terrorist crimes.

The special operation is completed, but the regime of anti-terrorist operation in the Elbrus district is still effective.

The NAK said the media reports alleging that five militants had been killed did not correspond to reality.

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