MAKHACHKALA/KHANKALA. May 20 (Interfax-AVN) - Rappani Khalilov, who is suspected of organizing the blast in the town of Kaspiysk on May 9, 2002, has been killed in Chechnya, a source in Makhachkala citing Khalilov's relatives in Dagestan told Interfax on Tuesday.
"They (the relatives - Interfax) were told by someone from Chechnya that Khalilov had been killed in a clash with federal forces," the source said.
The regional operative headquarters directing the anti- terrorist operation in the North Caucasus has neither confirmed nor denied this information.
Five people have been arrested in connection with the Kaspiysk terrorist attack. Domestic and international arrest warrants were issued for Khalilov, who until recently had been hiding in Chechnya.
The Kaspiysk terrorist attack killed 45 people.
Official representatives of the federal defense and law enforcement forces are not commenting on Khalilov's death at this time either.