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Five bandits killed in 2 Russia’s North Caucasus republics

MOSCOW, December 30. /ITAR-TASS/. Security forces killed five bandits during operations in the North Caucasus republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Dagestan, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee told Itar-Tass on Monday.

Three gunmen holed up in a house in Kabardino-Balkaria's Chegem district were on the federal wanted list "attempting to destabilize the republic and preparing acts of sabotage and terror during the New Year and Christmas holidays,” the committee's information centre reported.

Residents were evacuated from neighboring buildings as the three responded to Federal Security Service and Interior Ministry commando demands with assault rifles and grenade fire. Two federal servicemen were slightly wounded before the gunmen were overpowered.

“The dead gunmen had been involved in several armed attacks on law enforcers. They killed two officers from Kabardino-Balkaria’s branch of the Federal Penitentiary Service on December 10,” the information centre said.

Two other militants died overnight to Monday between Karlanyurt and Petrakovskoye settlements in Dagestan's Khasavyurt district as security personnel tried to stop a car for identity checks.

Two bandits inside the car were killed in the shootout. An assault rifle and a non-lethal gun converted for combat fire were found.

An arms cache with three grenade launchers and about three kilogram’s of explosives were discovered and destroyed in the Sunzha district of Ingushetia.

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