Report: Five killed in anti-terrorism operation in North Caucasus

Feb 11, 2012, 10:16 GMT

Moscow - Four suspected Islamists and a member of the Russian security forces were killed during an anti-terrorism operation in Russia's volatile North Caucasus region, the Interfax news agency reported Saturday.

One soldier was also wounded in the encounter in the republic of Dagestan, according to the National Anti-Terrorist Committee, the report said.

Security forces surrounded a house in the village of Gurbuki late Friday, in which the suspected militants were holed up. Village residents were evacuated before the operation began.

The militants were given the option of laying down arms, but they opened heavy fire instead, according to security forces.

A mix of Muslim extremists, ethnic Chechen nationalists and local bandits are thought to form the backbone of resistance to Russian rule in the North Caucasus.

Fighting between Russian army units and the rebels takes place frequently in the Caucasus, with government forces conducting patrols and house raids almost daily.

The Caucasus region has been the scene of fighting between government forces and rebels for more than 20 years. Dagestan is its most restive region. Kremlin troops generally control the towns and cities, while rebels maintain hideouts in the territory's rugged forests and mountains.

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