The FBI interviewed one of the Boston marathon bombing suspects in 2011 at the request of a foreign government, reports have claimed.

New Youtube video of Tamerlan Tsarnaev shown by CNN

Officials told the Associated Press, Reuters and CNN that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died in a shootout with police outside Boston on Friday morning, was interviewed by federal officers.

The matter was closed when it did not produce any incriminating information.

One official told AP that the FBI shared its information with the foreign government. The official did not say what country made the request about Tamerlan Tsarnaev or why.

The 26-year-old’s younger brother Dzhokhar, also a suspect in Monday’s bombings that killed three people and wounded scores more, has been taken into custody after a dramatic confrontation with police.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev died of bullet wounds and injuries from explosives strapped to his body, a hospital doctor said.

Boston police said more than 200 rounds of gunfire were exchanged with the brothers early Friday morning shortly before Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s death, and that the two men had hurled improvised explosive devices and handmade hand grenades at officers.

It has been widely reproted that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev drove over his brother’s body as he fled police during that incident.

The brothers had not previously been on the radar as possible militants, US government officials said.

On Friday night, while the hunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was still ongoing, US President Barack Obama spoke with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, by telephone.

During the conversation, Mr Obama praised the “close cooperation that the United States has received from Russia on counter-terrorism, including in the wake of the Boston attack,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a written statement.

There were hints earlier in the day that Russian officials were helping American investigators research the brothers.

CNN reported that one interview in Dagestan with Tsarnaev’s father ended when Russian authorities showed up to question him.