14 killed in Russia's North Caucasus

Officials say six policemen and eight militants have been killed in separate shootings in Russia's violence-plagued North Caucasus.

Officials say six policemen and eight militants have been killed in separate shootings in Russia's violence-plagued North Caucasus.

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Regional police spokesman Vyacheslav Gasanov said four policemen were killed and three wounded on Wednesday in the Kostek village in the province of Dagestan during a siege that left five militants dead. Police found weapons and explosives in the apartment where the rebels were hiding, he said.

In a separate incident, four gunmen were killed after they refused police orders to pull over and opened fire on the officers, Gasanov said.

Two police died in further attacks one in Dagestan and another in the nearby Kabardino-Balkaria province. The North Caucasus has seen an increase in violence in the last year, mostly attributed to Islamist separatist militants.