Russia said Friday that its counter-terror forces had killed two militants and discovered a cache of weapons during a raid in the volatile region of Dagestan in the North Caucasus.
The National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAK) told news agencies that two militants opened fire during a search operation in the Buinaksk region of the mountainous republic on the Caspian Sea.
NAK said the men were told to surrender but instead opened fire and were “neutralized” in an exchange of fire.
“Automatic weapons and ammunition were found at the scene of the shootout and an IED ready for use was discovered in the criminals’ car,” NAK said, according to Russian news agencies.
Russian security services routinely announce successful anti-terror operations — particularly against suspected Islamist cells — in the south of the country and the Muslim-majority republic of Chechnya.
The security services in December said it had foiled an attack planned by a cell loyal to the Islamic State group in the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, arresting four people.
In the 1990s Moscow fought two brutal wars against separatists in Chechnya, across the border from Dagestan.