A Russian mayor was killed by unidentified gunman as leaving home for office Wednesday morning, local media reported.

Vitaly Karayev, mayor of Vladikavkaz of the North Ossetia republic, was shot at his home yard and died in hospital, Itar-Tass news agency cited an official of the Interior Ministry of the Caucasus republic.

"Karayev went out of the house at about 09:00 Moscow time (0600 GMT), and was about to take a seat in his car, when an unidentified man fired at him," said the Interior Ministry official.

The police are probing into the case and there's no report yet about the cause.

Karayev took office for less than a year.

(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2008)