Ten militants killed by security forces in southern Russia

Ten militants killed by security forces in southern Russia

2011-04-29 21:52:03 GMT+7 (ICT)

NALCHIK, RUSSIA (BNO NEWS) -- Russian security forces on Friday killed ten suspected militants in the troubled North Caucasus region in southern Russia, RIA Novosti reported.

A special security operation was conducted on the border of Stavropol Territory and the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. There were no casualties among security forces or civilians.

During the operation, a group of people was ordered to identify themselves but instead barricaded inside a house. The suspected insurgents refused to surrender and opened fire on the security forces.

After the gun fight, ten bodies were located inside the house, two of them women. According to preliminary reports, among the casualties were two gang leaders who were on Russia's most wanted list.

Russia continues to combat militants in the North Caucasus region, more than a decade after the end of the armed conflict with separatists in the republic of Chechnya: Nowadays, the most conflicted areas are Kabardino-Balkaria, Ingushetia, Dagestan, and North Ossetia.

On Wednesday night, two police officers were killed by gunmen in the Tsumadinsky region of Dagestan. Islamist militants in Dagestan region have been fighting Russian security forces for years, looking to establish an independent state.

Earlier this year, Chechen Islamist rebel leader Dokka Umarov ordered an attack at a Moscow airport. The suicide bombing killed 37 people and injured approximately 200 more at Domodedovo airport.

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