ICRF: in Kabardino-Balkaria, militants made about 20 shots at observatory employees

As reported by Vladimir Markin, the spokesman of the ICRF (Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation), the militants who killed the spouses - the employees of the Baksan Neutrino Observatory of the Institute for Nuclear Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, made at least 20 shots at the casualties.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that two employees of the Baksan Neutrino Observatory - the Guliev spouses - were shot dead in the evening on October 7 in the village of Neutrino, Elbrus District of Kabardino-Balkaria.

According to law enforcers, at night on October 8, in an armed clash in the vicinity of the city of Tyrnyauz, two supposed militants, suspected of murdering the spouses, were liquidated. One of them was identified as Rustam Benigerov, the leader of the Tyrnyauz underground; the second one is being identified.

Mr Markin continued: "According to investigators, on October 7, at about 9:00 p.m., unidentified persons immobilized Gulieva's mother, aged 84, with adhesive tape, and then shot the spouses dead. The Gulievs, who were employees of the Baksan Neutrino Observatory of the Institute of Nuclear Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, died in place. Policemen found twenty 9-mm shell casings in the place of the incident."

He confirmed the investigators' version that Benigerov and his accomplice were the killers of the spouses. Next to the bodies of liquidated militants, operative agents found Gulievs' documents and belongings, including a passport, a driving license, an insurance policy, and two bank cards, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

"Besides, according to preliminary data, the spouses were killed by the firearms, which were also found on Benigerov," said Mr Markin.

The case was initiated under several articles of the Russian Criminal Code: "intentional murder of two or more persons, committed by a group of persons", "beatings" and "illegal arms trafficking", the RBC (RosBusinessConsulting) reports.

These articles assume up to life imprisonment.