Ingushetia

Her death, he suggested, was an attempt to "discredit" Chechnya and Ingushetia and "trample its peoples in the mud" .

Speaking to the news agency, Mr. said the Russian leadership had told him to intensify operation in both Chechnya and Ingushetia.

JUST over two years ago Ingushetia, the smallest and once the most peaceful republic in the north Caucasus, was in a state of civil war.

The Kremlin has found itself unable to stop rampant violence in Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan to the east.

The body of Natalia Estemirovawas found dumped in a forest near the border between the Russian Republic of Chechnya and Ingushetia .

And a prominent human-rights activist, Natalia Estemirova, was abducted and later found shot dead in neighbouring Ingushetia.

The president of Ingushetia was severely wounded in an apparent assassination attempt on Monday.

Last week, Ingushetia's construction minister was shot to death in his own office.

Her kidnappers headed in the direction of Ingushetia, Chechnya's neighbouring republic.

Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, Ingushetia's president, who moved to root out corruption, was almost killed in a terrorist attack last June.

He also insisted that Russia's federal forces should not carry out "special operations" in Ingushetia without his knowledge.

Kabardino - Balkar Republic Chechen Republic, Dagestan Republic, Ingushetia Republic belong to the Russian North Caucasus Federal District.

Reports of killings and explosions come daily from Ingushetia and Dagestan, as well as from Chechnya itself.

Ingushetia is still not normal, but Mr Yevkurov has restored some semblance of Russian governance there.

In Ingushetia, where Mr Basayev was killed, shootings, explosions and even aerial bombardment have been almost incessant.

The men stopped their vehicle soon after crossing into Ingushetia.

Ingushetia has descended into what amounts to a civil war, says Grigory Shvedov of Caucasian Knot, an independent news service.

Two years on, Ingushetia seems much calmer.

His supporters blamed Ingushetia's then president and interior minister.

So if this money stops, there will be an explosion in Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia.

Islamist radicals in such republics as Dagestan and Ingushetia are as dangerous and difficult to fight as anywhere else.

They've set up shop not only in neighboring regions, including Dagestan and Ingushetia, but brought their battle to Russia's cities.

Around 15, 000 Chechen refugees are still living squalidly in Ingushetia, in train wagons, warehouses and goods containers.

Ingushetia's Deputy Interior Minster, Dzhabrail Kostoyev, died in the attack Wednesday morning near Nazran, the region's main city.

In the Russian North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia is illegal armed active region.

Nobody knows how many rebels there are in Ingushetia or neighbouring Dagestan.

In Ingushetia, for example, corrupt officials have paid off insurgents to keep their lucrative fiefs.