Two gunmen suspected of 1999 attack in Dagestan detained

MOSCOW, October 21. /TASS/. Law enforcement officers have apprehended two suspects in attacks in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan in 1999, who were allegedly members of Basayev’s and Hattab’s gangs, the Russian Federal Security Service’s (FSB) Public Relations Center told TASS on Wednesday.

"The Federal Security Service in interaction with the Interior Ministry and the Investigative Committee and backed by forces of the Russian National Guard have detained the natives of the Stavropol Region Maylubayev Rasul, born in 1975, and Yakubov Zagir, born in 1977, who were involved in the August 1999 attack on inhabited localities of the Botlikhsky district in the Republic of Dagestan as members of gangs led by Sh. Basayev and A. Hattab," the FSB said.

There are signs of an offence in the detainees’ actions stipulated under Article 317 of Russia’s Criminal Code (attempt on the life of a law enforcement officer).

Svetlana Petrenko, the spokeswoman for the Investigative Committee, told reporters that in 1999 Maylubayev and Yakubov were involved in an armed attack on inhabited localities of Dagestan’s Botlikhsky district and in fighting against law enforcement officers and service members who defended the region. In the gunmen’s attack, more than 280 service members, law enforcement officers and civilians were killed and more than 800 wounded.

"Investigative activities have been conducted in relation to the detainees," Petrenko said. "Evidence of their involvement in the above mentioned offences was obtained. In the foreseeable future, the investigation [team] will be submitting a motion to the court asking to select a preventive measure in the form of remand in custody for Maylubayev and Yakubov," she added.

Petrenko pointed out that the investigators alongside FSB and police officers continue the investigation to identify the attackers who went into hiding from the law enforcement agencies.