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Assassin of religious leader of Kabardino-Balkaria killed

Shamayev was killed in an armed incident which occurred near the bus terminal in Nalchik

NALCHIK, July 3 (Itar-Tass) —— The 21-year old Azparukh Shamayev, earlier declared as wanted for murder of the head of the Muslim spiritual department (Mufti) Anas Pshikhachev, has been killed in Nalchik, a local law enforcement source told Itar-Tass on Tuesday. The Mufti was murdered in the entrance to his house on December 15, 2010.

Shamayev's body has not been officially identified yet, the source said. Shamayev was also suspected of other crimes qualified as an encroachment on the life of law enforcer and weapons smuggling, it said.

Shamayev was killed in an armed incident which occurred near the bus terminal in Idarov Street in Nalchik at around 6.00 am Moscow time Tuesday. A night police patrol stopped two men to check their documents, but both rushed away. During a pursuit one of the two fugitives opened fire, but was killed in retaliation. Besides, he had a grenade in his hand which exploded, the press service of the Interior Department of Kabardino-Balkaria specified. Neither Interior servicemen nor civilians were hurt in the incident.

Earlier, the SK branch for the North Caucasus and the Southern Federal District had declared a search for Astemir Mamishev and Azparukh Shamayev as suspects in the Mufti's murder. Mamishev was liquidated during a special operation in May 2011.