Russian mayor killed in volatile southern region

The mayor of a city in Russia's volatile North Caucasus was killed as he left for work on Wednesday morning, local police and health officials said. Vitaly Karayev, mayor of North Ossetia's capital Vladikavkaz, was shot while getting into his car near his home and rushed to hospital by his bodyguards. Russian mayor killed in volatile southern region "Karayev died from a bullet wound to his heart," a hospital official said. A police source said the attack was believed to be the work of a sniper. "There was a single bullet hole in the door of his vehicle. Presumably it was a single sniper shot which proved fatal," he said. Investigators are working at the scene. No weapons or bullet cases have been found so far. A senior North Ossetian investigator, Chermen Zangiyev, said the main line of inquiry for a motive for the killing is Karayev's "professional activity." Karayev's deputy was injured on October 22, when an explosive device planted under his car went off. Investigators said the explosion was not sufficiently powerful to kill the official and was aimed as a warning to Tamayev. Karayev, who was 46, became Vladikavkaz mayor in February after his predecessor quit the post. Several members of the city legislature resigned earlier this month after failing to elect a chairman. Russia's top investigative body has opened a criminal investigation into the killing. Experts from the Investigation Committee at the Prosecutor General's Office have been sent to the republic to help local investigators. The Kremlin press office said President Dmitry Medvedev, currently in Brazil, had ordered a prompt investigation into the killing. Earlier this month, 12 people, including a suicide bomber, were killed in an explosion at a bus stop in Vladikavkaz. North Ossetia is home to Beslan, where 331 people died, including 186 children, during a 2004 school hostage siege. The republic neighbors the troubled Chechnya and Georgia, with which Russia fought a brief war in August. The speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, said on Wednesday those behind the murder were seeking to destabilize the region. "We have been aware of the attempts by certain individuals to destabilize the situation in the region, they have been using different forces to ignite ethnic strife and stage terrorist attacks," Sergei Mironov said without elaborating further.

Russian mayor killed in volatile southern region

"Karayev died from a bullet wound to his heart," a hospital official said.

A police source said the attack was believed to be the work of a sniper. "There was a single bullet hole in the door of his vehicle. Presumably it was a single sniper shot which proved fatal," he said.

Investigators are working at the scene. No weapons or bullet cases have been found so far.

A senior North Ossetian investigator, Chermen Zangiyev, said the main line of inquiry for a motive for the killing is Karayev's "professional activity."

Karayev's deputy was injured on October 22, when an explosive device planted under his car went off. Investigators said the explosion was not sufficiently powerful to kill the official and was aimed as a warning to Tamayev.

Karayev, who was 46, became Vladikavkaz mayor in February after his predecessor quit the post.

Several members of the city legislature resigned earlier this month after failing to elect a chairman.

Russia's top investigative body has opened a criminal investigation into the killing. Experts from the Investigation Committee at the Prosecutor General's Office have been sent to the republic to help local investigators.

The Kremlin press office said President Dmitry Medvedev, currently in Brazil, had ordered a prompt investigation into the killing.

Earlier this month, 12 people, including a suicide bomber, were killed in an explosion at a bus stop in Vladikavkaz.

North Ossetia is home to Beslan, where 331 people died, including 186 children, during a 2004 school hostage siege. The republic neighbors the troubled Chechnya and Georgia, with which Russia fought a brief war in August.

The speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, said on Wednesday those behind the murder were seeking to destabilize the region.

"We have been aware of the attempts by certain individuals to destabilize the situation in the region, they have been using different forces to ignite ethnic strife and stage terrorist attacks," Sergei Mironov said without elaborating further.