Moscow, Aug 27: A senior minister of Russia's Southern Republic of Daghestan, which borders war-torn Chechnya, was killed today in an explosion while on his way to office, state news agency reported. Magomedsalikh Gusayev, Minister for Information and ethnic policy was killed when two unknown assailants attached a magnetic bomb to the roof of his moving car, when it slowed down at a traffic crossing, Itar-Tass reported quoting FSB security service sources. Gusayev died on the spot while his driver suffered serious injuries. The Russian Federal government has described Gusayev's assassination a `political murder' and an attempt to destabilise the situation in the volatile republic bordering Chechnya. Police said Gusayev had received death threats in 1999 from a radical Islamic Caucasian Organisation active in Chechnya and Daghestan. The organisation had issued a `death warrant' against Gusayev for his ministry's crackdown on radical Islamic outfits propagating extremism and religious intolerance.

The Islamic extremist had also attacked Daghestan in 1999 to establish a radical Islamic regime in the region traditionally preaching liberal Islam based on Sufism.

Daghestan is a multi-ethnic republic of the Russian Federation sandwiched between the Caspian Sea and Caucasus Mountains.


Bureau Report