Arab mercenary Abu Kuteiba was killed in the town of Malgobek, Ingushetia, during a special operation, Interfax has learned. Kuteiba was a close associate of warlord Khattab and was involved in terrorist attacks in Chechnya and outside it, said Major-General Ilya Shabalkin, a representative of the regional operative headquarters directing the operation in the Northern Caucasus. Kuteiba was one of the organizers of the June 22 attack on the Ingush towns of Nazran, Karabulak and Slepsovskaya. Kuteiba was located as a result of a special operation and was killed while trying to resist the federal troops, Shabalkin said. According to the regional operative headquarters, Kuteiba arrived in Chechnya together with Khattab in early 1995. He was among the mining instructors in the Kavkaz terrorist training camp and was a member of the supreme military majilis, the highest rebel authority in the Northern Caucasus. Kuteiba has been linked to international terrorists and rebels in Chechnya, Shabalkin said. No special service officials were hurt during the special operation. (Interfax)