Six militants killed in Russia's North Caucasus

Six militants killed in Russia's North Caucasus

2011-06-11 01:06:51 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOSCOW (BNO NEWS) -- Six suspected militants and one police officer on Friday were killed in Kabardino-Balkaria in the volatile Russia's North Caucasus region during a special operation, a police source said.

RIA Novosti reported that six militants were killed in clashes near the village of Neytrino, according to the police source. Five policemen were also injured.

In May, four suspected militants were killed in downtown Nalchik, the capital of the volatile republic. In late April, 10 insurgents thought to be behind a string of terrorist attacks and murders in the region were also killed in a special operation.

Until recently Kabardino-Balkaria was considered one of the calmer republics of the mainly Muslim North Caucasus, where terrorist attacks and shootouts with police are common.

So far this year, Russian security forces have killed 146 militants in the North Caucasus region, including 19 senior leaders. The deaths have taken place in the troubled republics of Chechnya, Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria.

Islamist militants in the region have been fighting Russian security forces for years, looking to establish an independent state in the North Caucasus. Around 50 percent of all terrorist-related violence in Russia last year happened in the mainly-Muslim region.

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