One of the seven insurgents killed in a security operation on Saturday in the Malgobek district of Ingushetia in Russia's North Caucasus was preliminarily identified as Artur Gatagazhev, nicknamed Abdullah, leader of Ingushetia's militant network, Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Center (NAK) said. Gatagazhev headed the network since June 2013. The network is suspected of a whole series of attacks and crimes. The NAK statement said, "Among other things, it has been proved that [Gatagazhev] was directly involved in high-profile murders of state officials, Federal Security Service [FSB] and police officers and ordinary civilians, and in extortions of money from business people and local officials."
Gatagazhev and his group were also involved in the murder of Ingush Security Council Secretary Akhmed Kotiyev in September 2013 and FSB officer Magomed Korigov in Malgobek city in August 2011, according to the anti-terrorism committee.