At least 12 terrorist and 7 Russian policemen were killed in a fierce clash between the two sides in a southern Russian village near the conflict-torn Chechnya.
The terrorists of the so-called Nogay battalion linked with Chechen terrorists were holed up in three houses in the village of Tukui Mekteb in Stavropol Territory neighbouring Chechnya.
In the 24-hour-long gunbattle that ensued, at least 12 terrorists and seven policemen were killed. Seven other policemen were also injured.
The terrorists were under constant watch for some time and it was decided to "eliminate" them after their plan to attack a local school and take its students hostage was uncovered, a police source was quoted as saying by the state-run RIA Novosti.
In September 2004, a group of Chechnya-based terrorists had attacked a school in Beslan taking over dents, teachers and parents hostage on the first day of the new academic year. Over 300 people, mostly children were killed in the 3-day school siege.