Law enforcers killed a notorious militant leader, Aslan Izrailov, during a special operation in Chechnya, the president of the North Caucasus republic said on Saturday.
"One of the influential militant leaders nicknamed Savab, who has been the leader of the remaining militants active between the Vedensky and Nozhai-Yurt districts [of Chechnya], was killed," Ramzan Kadyrov said.
He added that the killing of Izrailov, who was about 40 years old, is a serious blow to all remaining militants in Chechnya.
Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus republics have been swept by an upsurge of violence in recent months. Hundreds of people have been killed in militant attacks and skirmishes between security forces and gunmen.
GROZNY, December 19 (RIA Novosti)
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