"Information on Shapayev's location became known the day before. By operative data, Shapayev, counting on law enforcement bodies' being less vigilant during the holidays, decided to move to a reserve apartment in the settlement of Chernorechye in Grozny," said a Staff representative. In his words, during detention, Shapayev tried to escape and opened desultory fire from a handgun. He was killed by return fire.
A Stechkin pistol and an AKSU-74 submachine gun were seized from the clash site. The Chechen republic's interior ministry and prosecutor's office officials visited the site, said the Regional operational staff.
According to the Staff, Chechnya's law enforcement bodies know numerous facts of Shapayev's unlawful activity.
In particular, it is known that in late 1998 he joined the Wahhabite Jamaat of Abdurakhman, a Jordanian of Chechen extraction, was trained in Khattab's camp, took part in an armed attack on Dagestan (republic neighboring on Chechnya) as part of emir Halid's gang.
After militants were routed in Dagestan, Shapayev joined Shamsuddin Eskayev's gang.
It is established that in 2000-2003 Shapayev participated in committing a number of terrorist acts against Chechen civilians and law enforcers.
Besides, Shapayev's gang intended to perpetrate acts of terrorism on four polling stations during the preparation for and conducting of the referendum on the adoption of Chechnya's Constitution. Those terrorist attacks were prevented by law enforcement agencies, said the Staff.
A Staff representative told RIA Novosti that yesterday, three militants shot a resident of the Nizhniye Varandy village of the Grozny district, Said-Emi Konukayev, in the settlement of Chiri-Yurt.
"By available data, the murder was perpetrated by participants of Chitigov's gang making part of Maskhadov's gang formation, who have been long engaged in robberies and extortion of the so-called 'Islamic tax' from entrepreneurs on the territory of Shali and neighboring regions," said a Staff representative.
The Staff also said two militants' bases were discovered in Chechnya's Nozhai-Yurt district. "The bases were situated close to each other. There were traces indicating that several militants recently were there," said the source.
It said 1 kg of plastic explosives, saltpeter, 2 kg of chopped nails, an initiating device for a bomb explosion, radio parts, medicines, foodstuffs and a notebook with notes on mining were discovered there.
All buildings, as well as the discovered explosive substances were destroyed on site. Federal forces units are still looking for the gang's militants, said the Staff.
A conscript serviceman was killed in an explosion in Grozny, the Staff of the Joint Group of Forces in the North Caucasus told RIA Novosti.
According to the JGF Staff, an explosion of an unidentified device took place yesterday morning during engineer reconnaissance.
