Ingushetia rebel killed in raid by Russian troops

A leading Islamist rebel in Ingushetia has been killed during a raid by Russian troops, Russia's Federal Security Service has said.

The death of Alexander Tikhomirov, also called Said Buryatsky, and seven rebels this week was confirmed by Ingushetia President Yunus-Bek Yevkurov.

Mr Tikhomirov was accused of involvement in the bombing of a train last year that killed 26 people.

He was also linked to an assassination attempt on President Yevkurov.

FSB head Alexander Bortnikov told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in televised comments: "Material evidence was found on the scene of the special operation directly connected to the train blast organised by this group of bandits in November last year."

The November 2009 bomb attack was on the Nevksy Express between Moscow and Petersburg.

A North Caucasus Islamist group, the "Causasian Mujahadeen", said it carried it out on the orders of its leader Doku Umarov.

Mr Tikhomirov had never personally admitted involvement, and Mr Bortnikov's comments were the first time he had been directly linked, Reuters reported.

Mr Tikhomirov did admit involvement in a suicide bomb attack at police headquarters in the republic's capital, Nazran, which killed 20 policemen in August 2009.

Mr Yevkurov almost died in a suicide bomb attack in June last year, that Russian police suspected was organised by Mr Tikhomirov.