'11 gunmen killed in Dagestan'

Police in the Russian region of Dagestan say 11 gunmen have been killed in a predawn firefight with law enforcement and security agents.

Police in the Russian region of Dagestan say 11 gunmen have been killed in a predawn firefight with law enforcement and security agents.

HT Image

Dagestan's Interior Ministry says one security officer was also killed and another seriously wounded. The fight erupted when police and Federal Security Service agents stopped a minibus near the village of Tsmur in southern Dagestan around 1 am on Wednesday.

It continued for several hours as the gunmen took cover in nearby forested areas. Police said they found weapons, explosives, ammunition and religious literature in the vehicle.

Dagestan has long been troubled by violence spilling over from neighboring Chechnya, as well as a police crackdown on Islamic militants and criminal gangs.