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Russian mayor shot dead in daytime assassination
Aug 22, 2011, 11:08 GMT
Moscow - The mayor of a Russian town outside Moscow popular with religious pilgrims and tourists was killed on Monday in a daytime shooting, according to news reports.
Yevgeny Dushko, 35, died from gunshot injuries to his head and chest, Interfax reported.
He had been the senior government official in the town of Sergiyev Posad, home of The Trinity Lavra of St Sergius monastery.
Located some 70 kilometres north-east of Moscow, the St Sergius Trinity monastery is considered one of the most sacred edifices of the Orthodox Russian branch of Christianity.
Dushko had said that bringing criminal gangs in Sergiev Posad under control was a top priority for his administration. He had been in office for only a few months.
Mobsters angry with new city ordinances aimed at cracking down on commercial crime were the most likely suspects in the attack, Interfax reported.
The Trinity Monastery near the town which dates back to the 12th century and is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Tourists and pilgrims visiting the monastery are an important source of regional income.
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