In Dagestan, cleric-opponent to Wahhabism wounded by explosion

Today in the morning in Makhachkala, where an explosive has operated along the route of a VAZ-2110 service car and wounded Sultanvakil Sultanmagomedov, deputy mufti of the Spiritual Department of Moslems of Dagestan, his driver and bodyguard Gazimagomed Kurakhmaev.

Both victims were immediately hospitalized to the surgical ward of the First City Hospital of the capital of Dagestan. The ward is under militia guard; according to the doctors, their patients have numerous fragmental wounds, however, there is no threat to their lives. An operative-investigatory group is now studying the venue of the incident.

By the fact of explosion, a criminal case was initiated under Articles "Murder attempt" and "Illegal circulation of bombs and explosives".

The main version is militants' vengeance, since Mr Sultanmagomedov is known in the republic as one of the most irreconcilable opponents of the religious radicalism known as Wahhabism.

We remind you that this not the first attempt on clerics in Dagestan. On August 21, 1998, the car of the mufti of Dagestan Said Mukhammad Hajji Abubakarov was blown up on the drive into the yard of the central city mosque for Friday pray; the latter was also known as an active opponent of religious radicals. The mufti, his brother and driver died in situ. In that crime, financial components were considered as the main version.

In July 2006 in Makhachkala, an attempt was made on imam of the mosque of the settlement of Shamkhal Magdi-Hajji Abidov. The cleric received plural gunshot wounds and was hospitalized.

On July 26, 2007, the car of deputy mufti Kuramagomed Ramazanov was blown up killing the mufti and his brother.

In September 2007 a village mosque employee Gubden Nurmagomed Gadjimagomedov was assassinated in the Karabudakhkent District of Dagestan.

On March 7, 2008, in Khasavyurt, unknown persons shelled an employee of one of city mosques, who was then hospitalized.