MOSCOW, June 27 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's security service FSB said a militant killed in an operation in the North Caucasus Wednesday morning was involved in apartment bombings in Moscow and Volgodonsk, southern Russia, in 1999.
The man, Ruslan Odizhev, was shot during a special operation in Nalchik, the capital of Russia's Kabardino-Balkarian Republic close to the troubled republic of Chechnya.
"We have established that Ruslan Odizhev was an active member of the republic's religious and extremist community and was the spiritual leader of the so-called Jamaat Yarmuk [local extremist] group... he was also involved in the apartment bombings in Moscow and Volgodonsk," the FSB said.
The FSB said Odizhev had fought for the Taleban in Afghanistan and been held at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo.
The security service also said the man had been on the wanted list for allegedly taking part in an armed attack on Nalchik in October 2005 when a large group of armed separatists attacked the city killing 35 policemen and 12 civilians, and wounding over 100. The police struck back the following day, killing 92 militants and dispersing others.
The FSB also said Odizhev was a mastermind behind an armed rebellion in Kabardino-Balkaria, which was foiled in 2001.
