Security forces in Russia's North Caucasus region of Daghestan say they have killed at least three militants in a special operation.
Media reports in Russia quote Daghestani security officials as saying the special operation launched on October 12 in the western region of Karabudakhkent is ongoing.
They add that the special operation was launched after the alleged militants opened fire at police from a private house in the village of Gubden.
Daghestan has been at the epicenter of a wave of violence by armed criminal groups and by 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.