Four militants have been killed in a shootout with Special Forces in Russia's Northern Caucasian republic of Dagestan. Authorities say a terrorist ringleader was among those killed in the republic's capital Makhachkala.
Police believe the militants were involved in Friday's murder of a deputy prosecutor in the city, Maksud Maksudov. While searching one of the militants’ bodies, investigators found a piece of paper with a map of Maksudov’s home, complete with the communal courtyard and get-away routes marked.
“There was this map, Maksudov’s vehicle registration number and his home address written on this paper. Furthermore, there was data on an officer from Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan, who the militants were going to wipe out,” Interfax news agency quotes its sources.
In recent months, Russia's south has seen a surge in violence. In response, security forces have launched a crackdown against militants.