Eight members of an armed group and one law enforcement officer have been killed in clashes in the volatile North Caucasus region of Daghestan, Russian officials say.
The National Counterterrorism Committee said that three officers of the Federal Security Service were also injured in the ongoing clashes in a rural area south of the regional capital, Makhachkala.
Interfax news agency quoted security officials as saying a police operation continued in a nearby area of forests and mountains on July 8 to root out any remaining militants.
It said the armed group was responsible for attacks on police, civilians, and for what it said were terrorist acts.
Daghestan has been at the epicenter of a wave of violence by armed criminal groups and militants seeking to establish an Islamic caliphate in the North Caucasus.
Organized crime, business turf wars, political disputes, and clan rivalry also contribute to the bloodshed in the region.
Based on reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and AP
