MOSCOW, July 27 (Itar-Tass) —— Six militants were killed in the special operation in Makhachkala's suburbs, a National Antiterrorism Committee information centre source told Itar-Tass.
By conducting the operation, the law enforcement forces prevented a possible series of terrorist attacks during the Muslims' holy Ramadan month, the NAC source noted.
The fire that broke out in the house during the operation is extinguished.
During the negotiations with the blocked gunmen, one of the women who were in the house, Saidat Yusupova, saying she was ready to surrender, attempted to approach law enforcement officers, and at the time, an explosive device on her body went off.
Information that several members of a group of gunmen were in a private house at Dachnaya Street in Makhachkala's suburbs was received overnight, the NAC source told Itar-Tass.
The counterterrorist operation regime was imposed there at 00:30 Moscow time. Special police and security service forces blocked the area around the house. The gunmen responded with intensive fire.
There were women and children aside from the gunmen in the house. Negotiations continued there to save the people. As a result, two girls aged three and eleven were brought out of the house at 07:15, and later other two children were taken away, the source said.
The negotiations lasted throughout the night. The women, former wives of earlier neutralized gunmen, were asked to go out of the house. The women -- Zagra Kadimagomedova, who was formerly detained in an antiterrorist operation in the village of Dagestanskiye Ogni, and Dinara Budayeva convicted of illegal arms traffic -- refused to go out, though their relatives joined the negotiations.
After the children were brought out of the house, the gunmen resumed intensive shooting at the law enforcers.