MAKHACHKALA. Dec 29 (Interfax) - Seven men believed to having belonged to an illegal armed group have been killed in a special operation on Kazbekov Street in Makhachkala, a spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee department for Dagestan reported.
Investigators have started to examine the apartment in which the dead militants were hiding, he said. Weapons have been seized from the scene, and the dead militants have yet to be identified.
Six bodies were found in the apartment, and another gunman was killed outdoors on Friday evening when he tried to break through to his accomplices, he said.
"All those killed are presumably members of the Kizil-Yurt sabotage and terrorist group. Two Stechkin pistols, one improvised submachine-gun, and a remodeled PM-type gas pistol have been found in the apartment. The examination is continuing," he said.
One of the seven gunmen killed in Makhachkala has been identified preliminarily as the leader of the so-called Kizil-Yurt gang. Security forces managed to release a girl that was being held hostage, the National Antiterrorist Committee told Interfax on Saturday.
"Three have been identified preliminarily. One of them, Gadzhimurad Dolgatov, was the leader of the gang, another, Arsen Kuramagomedov, was his right hand, and Shamil Akhmedov owned the apartment. All of them earlier served prison terms for grave crimes," the NAC said.
"During an assault, some thugs managed to move to a neighboring apartment by breaking a wall there and took hostage a small child [a six-year-old girl]. However, due to the security forces' coordinated and professional actions, the child was released, and the remaining thugs were neutralized," it said.
"During a search operation against members of the criminal underground acting in Dagestan, security agencies obtained information on the whereabouts of a group of six people making up the so-called Kizil-Yurt gang. Its members are responsible for killings, extortions, and armed robberies. Virtually all of them were earlier convicted for general crimes and served their sentences in penitentiaries," the NAC said.
"The gang specialized in cruel crimes involving the use of weapons, and some information indicates that it planned a number of robberies and killings in Makhachkala," it said.