Seven hunters were shot dead by unidentified assailants, two more managed to escape in Russia's North Caucasian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, a spokesman for the united information centre of republican police said on Saturday. According to the spokesman, the bodies with gunshot wounds were uncovered in a trench shelter near the town of Baksan. Four of the killed hunters have already been identified. The hunters were attacked by four assailants, who were armed with automatic rifles, guns and a machine gun. The gunmen have taken two Niva cars belonging to the hunters to escape the scene. Criminal proceeding have been initiated on charges of murdering two or more persons and on illegal arms possession. All measures have been taken to arrest the killers. Experts from the Moscow-based central investigation committee were sent to Kabardino-Balkaria to probe into the massacre. President of the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria Arsen Kanokov has ordered to pay 500,000 roubles to the families of each of those killed, the republican president's press service told Itar-Tass.
