• Young midfielder died after machine-gun attack on car • Club says no arrests made and motive for attack is unclear

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Gasan Magomedov, a 20-year-old midfielder for the Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala, has been shot and killed near his home in the volatile North Caucasus.

In a statement, Anzhi said Magomedov had been driving near his home on Saturday night when his car was hit by machine-gun fire. He died while being taken to hospital. No arrests have been made and the motive for the attack is unclear.

Magomedov was a regular for Anzhi’s youth and reserve teams.

The Russian region of Dagestan, where the attack took place, has a long-running Islamist insurgency.

Anzhi challenged for the Russian title in recent years but were relegated to the second tier last season. For several years, it had a policy of basing star players – such as Samuel Eto’o, now with Everton – in Moscow to avoid Dagestan’s security risks.