Russian investigators on Tuesday accused Chechen militant leaders Doku Umarov and Aslan Byutukayev of organizing January's deadly blast at Moscow's Domodedovo airport.
"The Investigative Committee has decided to bring charges against active members of militant groups, including Umarov and Byutukayev," spokesman Vladimir Markin said.
The attack killed 37 people and injured dozens more. The suspects may face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, the official said.
Meanwhile, the Russian daily Kommersant said on Tuesday that Umarov, one of Russia's most wanted terrorists, and Byutukayev could have been among those killed during recent fighting in the volatile North Caucasus region.
Seventeen militants were killed on Monday in an attack on a base in Ingushetia used by Islamist insurgents to train suicide bombers. The raid involved ground forces and a precision air strike.
Markin also said police detained two brothers on charges of helping stage the Domodedovo bombing in a raid on Monday.
Umarov, who has styled himself as the Emir of the Caucasus Emirate, claimed responsibility for the airport blast as well as the March 2010 suicide bombings on the Moscow subway, in which 40 people died.
There have been several false reports of the death of Umarov in recent years, including speculation that he was killed in an airstrike in Chechnya at the turn of the year.
MOSCOW, March 29 (RIA Novosti)