President of Russia's volatile North Caucasus Republic of Dagestan Magomedsalam Magomedov decided on Sunday to reward security officers who killed the mastermind of the March suicide bombings on the Moscow metro.
Magomedali Vagabov, along with four other militants, was killed in a special security operation in the Dagestani village of Gunib earlier on Saturday.
"On behalf of the republic's leadership, we have made a decision to remunerate them [security officers] financially," Magomedov said.
Vagabov was the husband of Mariam Sharipova, one of the two suicide bombers to attack the Moscow metro on March 29.
Sharipova and the other bomber, Dzhennet Abdurakhmanova, blew themselves up at Lubyanka and Park Kultury metro stations during the morning rush hour, killing 40 people and injuring 100 others.
Vagabov was a close associate of Chechen militant leader Doku Umarov, who has claimed responsibility for the bombings.
Vagabov was behind many terrorist attacks in Dagestan and other Russian regions and had links to international terrorist organizations.
The Russian North Caucasus, including the troubled republics of Dagestan, Ingushetia and Chechnya, are often plagued by violence and continue to be a cause for concern for the Kremlin.
MAKHACHKALA, August 22 (RIA Novosti)
