MOSCOW — Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee says nine insurgents in the Caucasus region who allegedly were planning acts of terrorism during public holidays in May have been killed by police.

The committee said officers in the city of Derbent found two separate groups of suspects and ordered them to surrender. It says the suspects refused and died in subsequent gunfire on Saturday.

Derbent is in Dagestan, a Caucasus region where police have clashed for years with fighters in an insurgency that spread from neighbouring Chechnya. Russian troops have fought two full-scale wars in Chechnya during the past quarter-century.

Also Saturday, the Federal Security Service said its officers killed a suspected Islamic State group supporter who allegedly planned terrorist acts in the Caucasus city of Stavropol. </s> Russia says nine insurgents in the volatile Daghestan region who allegedly were planning acts of terrorism during public holidays in May have been killed by police.

Russia's Counterterrorism Committee said on its website on April 21 that it had received information that militants who planned to carry out an attack early next month were hiding in Derbent, the second-biggest city of the Muslim-majority republic of Daghestan in the south of the country.

The committee said officers found two separate groups of suspects in Derbent and ordered them to surrender. It says the suspects refused and died in subsequent gunfire on April 21.

Daghestan has seen a number of attacks in recent years, with several assaults against police claimed by the so-called Islamic State group.

Also on April 21, Russia's Federal Security Service said its officers killed a suspected Islamic State group supporter who allegedly planned terrorist acts in the neighboring Stavropol region.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP and AFP </s> MOSCOW: Nine people suspected of plotting an attack in Russia were killed in a shootout with security forces in Dagestan, the country's National Anti-Terror Committee has said.

The "anti-terrorist" operation was launched Saturday in Derbent, Dagestan, after police received a tip off over a group hiding in the city, who allegedly planned to commit an "attack" on May 1, traditionally a holiday in Russia, according to a statement from committee.

"Nine outlaw have been neutralised following brief exchanges of fire" with law enforcement, it said.

A Special Forces officer was wounded during the operation.

Dagestan, which lies immediately east of Chechnya, has seen a number of attacks in recent years, with several assaults against police claimed by the so-called Islamic State group. </s> Russia said on Saturday it had killed nine militants who had been plotting a terrorist act in the volatile Dagestan region in the south of the country.

Russia’s anti-terrorist committee said on its website it had received information that militants who planned to carry out an attack early next month were hiding in Derbent, the second biggest city of the Muslim-majority republic of Dagestan.

Russian special forces detected two groups of militants in different parts of the city. The militants opened fire after being ordered to lay down their arms and were shot dead.

There were no casualties among civilians or special forces, it said.

Separately, Russia’s Federal Security Service said on its website it had killed an Islamic State militant in the neighbouring Stavropol region. The militant had planned an attack on the regional government buildings. </s> Russia said on Saturday it had killed nine militants who had been plotting a terrorist act in the volatile Dagestan region in the south of the country.

Russia's anti-terrorist committee said on its website it had received information that militants who planned to carry out an attack early next month were hiding in Derbent, the second biggest city of the Muslim-majority republic of Dagestan. </s> Nine gunmen plotting terror attack on May Day shot dead in Dagestan

Nine gunmen, who had been planning a terrorist attack during the May Day festivities, have been destroyed in the Russian North Caucasus region of Dagestan, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) told TASS on Saturday.

"As a result of the targeted search, two gangs were spotted in different districts of Derbent. After having being offered to lay down arms and surrender, the criminals opened gunfire. In a brief exchange of fire, the gunmen were neutralized," NAC said. </s> MAKHACHKALA, Russia -- A warlord suspected to be behind multiple attacks in the North Caucasus and four of his accomplices have been killed in a police operation in Dagestan, local police said Sunday.

The five were killed late Saturday on the outskirts of the regional capital, Makhachkala, in a gunbattle with security forces, police spokeswoman Fatina Ubaydatova said.

Russian state television showed special and armored vehicles taking up positions to surround a two-story house nestled at the foot of mountains that flank Makhachkala to the west.

The regional office of the Russian Investigative Committee identified one of the five as 35-year old Rustam Aselderov, who was wanted for his suspected role in several attacks, including a double bombing in 2013 on a bus and at a train station in southern Russia that killed a total of 34 people.

Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim province on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, has become the epicenter of an Islamic insurgency following two separatist wars in neighboring Chechnya. Despite government efforts to clamp down on the insurgency, shootouts and bombings are routine.

Russian security agency FSB said in a statement on Sunday that Aselderov, although operating in Dagestan, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2014. The FSB posted a long list of suicide attacks in Dagestan and bombings elsewhere that Aselderov was suspected to have masterminded including a foiled suicide attack by two women on Red Square in Moscow on New Year's Eve in 2010. </s> MAKHACHKALA, Russia — Russian security forces have killed three suspected militants during a firefight in a volatile province of Russia's North Caucasus.

A spokesman for the Russian Interior Ministry's branch in the province of Dagestan says that its forces surrounded a house in the town of Khasavyurt where the suspects were hiding on Sunday.

Ruslan Ibragimgadzhiev says that they refused to surrender and died in an armed confrontation.

Mainly Muslim Dagestan is the principal breeding ground for Islamic militants in Russia and there are regular attacks on police and officials. Russia fought two bloody separatist wars in the neighboring province of Chechnya after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Some militants in Dagestan and other parts of the North Caucasus have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group. </s> MAKHACHKALA, Russia (AP) — Russian security forces have killed three suspected militants during a firefight in a volatile province of Russia’s North Caucasus.

A spokesman for the Russian Interior Ministry’s branch in the province of Dagestan says that its forces surrounded a house in the town of Khasavyurt where the suspects were hiding on Sunday. Ruslan Ibragimgadzhiev says that they refused to surrender and died in an armed confrontation.

Mainly Muslim Dagestan is the principal breeding ground for Islamic militants in Russia and there are regular attacks on police and officials. Russia fought two bloody separatist wars in the neighboring province of Chechnya after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Some militants in Dagestan and other parts of the North Caucasus have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group.
Russian authorities say nine insurgents who were planning to launch an attack next month have been killed in a gunfight in Derbent, Dagestan.