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Case file

1999 Vladikavkaz Market Bombing

SOLVED1999Market, Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia–Alania, Russia2 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Overview

On 19 March 1999, a bomb detonated at a crowded market in Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia, killing 52 people and injuring 168 others. The attack occurred amid a period of instability in the North Caucasus region.

Related Attacks and Charges

The men later tried for the market bombing were also convicted in connection with a series of related attacks and crimes. This included the bombing of a military housing unit known as "Sputnik" on 18 May 1999, which left four people dead and 17 injured, and a bombing at a Vladikavkaz train station on 28 June 1999, which injured 18 people. The court additionally found the men guilty of kidnapping four Russian officers on 30 July 1999 and transporting them to Chechnya for ransom; the officers were later released.

Aftermath

Russia declared 21 March 1999 a day of national mourning for victims of the bombing, a designation that also came in the context of a fire that had occurred the previous day at a psychiatric hospital in Vologda Oblast.

The attack had ripple effects on sporting events in the region. A football match between the national teams of Russia and Andorra was relocated from Vladikavkaz to Moscow at the request of the Andorran side. The bombing also affected the match schedule of Vladikavkaz's football club, Alania, in the Russian Championship, and led to increased security measures ahead of the club's first-round match against Spartak Moscow.

Verdict

On 15 December 2003, the Supreme Court of North Ossetia delivered its verdict in the terrorism case. Adam Tsurov was sentenced to life imprisonment in a high-security penal colony. Makhmud Temirbiyev and Abdurakhman Khutiev were each sentenced to 23 years in prison. Tsurov is reported to be serving his sentence at the "White Swan" prison in Perm Krai.

A fourth man, Magomed Tsakiyev, was also implicated in the case but did not live to hear the verdict; he had been killed in an armed clash prior to the court's ruling.

Key facts

Victims
On file
Date
1999
Location
Market, Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia–Alania, Russia
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1999-03-19

    Bombing at a crowded market in Vladikavkaz kills 52 and injures 168.

  2. 1999-03-21

    Day of national mourning declared in Russia for the victims.

  3. 1999-05-18

    Bombing of the 'Sputnik' military housing unit in Vladikavkaz kills four and injures 17.

  4. 1999-06-28

    Bombing at a Vladikavkaz train station injures 18 people.

  5. 1999-07-30

    Four Russian officers kidnapped and taken to Chechnya for ransom; later released.

  6. 2003-12-15

    Supreme Court of North Ossetia delivers verdict: Adam Tsurov sentenced to life imprisonment; Makhmud Temirbiyev and Abdurakhman Khutiev each sentenced to 23 years in prison.

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People

  • Abdurakhman Khutiev

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced to 23 years in prison for the market bombing and related attacks and kidnapping.

  • Makhmud Temirbiyev

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced to 23 years in prison for the market bombing and related attacks and kidnapping.

  • Adam Tsurov

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced to life imprisonment in a high-security penal colony for the market bombing and related attacks and kidnapping; reported to be serving his sentence at the 'White Swan' prison in Perm Krai.

  • Magomed Tsakiyev

    CHARGED

    Implicated in the case but killed in an armed clash before the court delivered its verdict.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Market, Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia–Alania, Russia

43.0160, 44.6500

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A bombing at a crowded market in Vladikavkaz, Russia, on 19 March 1999 killed 52 people and injured 168; three men were later convicted of the attack and related bombings and kidnappings.
Where did the bombing happen?
Market, Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia–Alania, Russia.
Who was convicted?
Abdurakhman Khutiev (Sentenced to 23 years in prison for the market bombing and related attacks and kidnapping.), Makhmud Temirbiyev (Sentenced to 23 years in prison for the market bombing and related attacks and kidnapping.), and Adam Tsurov (Sentenced to life imprisonment in a high-security penal colony for the market bombing and related attacks and kidnapping; reported to be serving his sentence at the 'White Swan' prison in Perm Krai.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Russia

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDIC1999 Vladikavkaz bombingWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage of the 1999 Vladikavkaz bombing verdictnewsru.com · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 10, 2026