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MASKHADOV WAS KILLED BY HIS OWN MEN

RIA Novosti

VLADIKAVKAZ, April 1 (RIA Novosti) - Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov was shot by his men who were with him in the bunker. They did it on his request, Nikolai Shepel, the Deputy Prosecutor General, told reporters.

"Maskhadov died of multiple bullet shots fired by those who were with him in the bunker on his request," said Shepel.

"Earlier reports said he died of gunshot wounds. They could have been caused by the blast. The wounds had to be examined thoroughly, and we did not hurry up the experts," said Shepel.

Shepel confirmed that the identification had been completed.

The molecular genetic analysis confirmed that it was Maskhadov, said Shepel.

"They [experts] confirmed that the man killed on March 8 was Aslan Maskhadov who was the mastermind of the international terrorist network in the North Caucasus," said Shepel.

"Maskhadov used to say that he would not surrender. 'You do not have to follow the lead (Maskhadov told his men), you can give yourselves in, but no one must touch me,'" Shepel cited Maskhadov as saying.

Shepel said a shahid belt had been found near the body. Maskhadov had apparently intended to use it.

Musa Yusupov, the owner of the house where Maskhadov was killed is alive and under investigation.

Shepel emphasized that prosecutors were receiving new evidence against the terrorist net in the North Caucasus, which hired foreign mercenaries.

Ilya Shabalkin, a spokesman for the regional headquarters for the Antiterrorist Operation in the North Caucasus, said earlier that the operation to capture Maskhadov had been conducted by the FSB's special task center. "The special operation was conducted in a standard manner, i.e. almost no weapons and noise at the initial phase," he said.

According to Shabalkin, the commandos used some elements of disguise not to alert the mobsters hiding in the village.

The bunker that sheltered Maskhadov was outfitted with everything so that people inside could survive rather a long time, according to Shabalkin.

When asked why they had not taken Maskhadov alive, Shabalkin said the entrance to the bunker had not been identified and the commandos had to blow up the wall to make a hole in it. The separatist leader might have been killed in the blast.

Three men who accompanied Maskhadov were arrested. "They were with Maskhadov as couriers," said Shabalkin.