ROSTOV-ON-DON, September 2 (RIA Novosti) - The head of a terrorist group thought to be involved in an attempt on the life of a regional leader was killed in a special operation the Russian North Caucasus republic of Ingushetia on Friday morning, a spokesman for the regional security service said.
" [Alikhan] Merzhoyev was tracked down to a private house in the town of Karabulak near the Chechen-Ingushetian border and was given the chance to surrender, but he opened fire," said the spokesperson for the local Federal Security Service (FSB) department said.
The house was cordoned off and residents of neighboring houses evacuated. The operation ended with Merzhoyev's death.
Law enforcement officials said Merzhoyev had taken over command of the terrorist group after his predecessor, Magamed Hashiyev, was shot in October 2004.
According to the FSB, Merzhoyev may have been involved in assassination attempts on Ingushetian Prime Minister Ibragim Malsagov and was a close ally of Arabian mercenary Abu-Dzeit, who was killed by FSB officers in February 2005.
The FSB said Merzhoyev had been trained in camps set up by Khattab, a notorious terrorist who was active in Chechnya until his death in 2002.
