High official killed in Russia’s Southern republic

13 Jun, 2009 16:05 / Updated 15 years ago

Former deputy Prime Minister of Russia’s Republic of Ingushetia and current governmental official Bashir Aushev has been killed on Saturday, according to the country’s Investigative Committee.

Sixty-two-year-old Aushev was shot at in the Center-Kamaz district in the town of Nazran at around 6:30 PM Moscow time (2.30 PM GMT). He was in his car when it came under fire by several gunmen. Aushev received multiple injuries and died on the way to hospital, a source at the Russian Prosecutor’s Office Investigative Committee, Ingushetian Office, told Interfax news agency.

The assailants left right after the attack in a car. A team of investigators are working at the scene. Measures are being taken to search for and detain the attackers.

For a long time Aushev served as deputy head of Ingushetia’s government, Ingushetia's Interior Ministry said. Recently he had worked as a governmental official. During Ruslan Aushev’s presidency in the 1990s he served as Ingushetia’s Interior Minister.