Senior investigator murdered in south Russia - 2

(Adds details in paras 3-5)

MAKHACHKALA, May 21 (RIA Novosti) - A senior investigator in the capital of the volatile southern Russian republic of Daghestan was fatally shot on Thursday morning, a local Interior Ministry official said.

"[Seifutdin] Kaziakhmedov was shot dead in Makhachkala at about 8 a.m. Moscow time," the official said, adding that police were working at the scene.

Kaziakhmedov, deputy head of the local branch of the Russia's Investigation Committee, led a series of major investigations, including probes against militant groups active in the North Caucasus republic.

He was repeatedly quoted by local media as saying he had faced threats from militants.

Investigators from Moscow have been sent to inquire into the murder, the Investigation Committee said.

The Interior Ministry said the attack occurred when Kaziakhmedov and his wife were out jogging. A gunman came out of a car and fired several shots at the investigator with a Makarov pistol.

Kaziakhmedov suffered bullet wounds to the head and heart, and died on the way to the hospital, the official said.

Daghestan has seen frequent attacks on authorities and police carried out by militants believed to be based in neighboring Chechnya. Attacks have also been linked to local clan rivalries and criminal networks.