GROZNY, July 31 (RIA Novosti) - Two suspected militants were killed in two separate police operations in the Chechen capital of Grozny on Friday, the Russian southern republic's interior minister said.
The first gunman was spotted in an apartment block in Grozny, Ruslan Alkhanov said.
"Police sealed off the apartment and demanded he surrender, but the militant offered armed resistance and was killed when police returned fire."
Alkhanov said the man was identified as a member of a militant group whose leader was shot dead along with five other gunmen earlier this month. The group has been "liquidated," the minister said.
Another gunman was also killed after opening fire at police who tried to detain him in a central Grozny apartment. Alkhanov said the gunman's identity was being established. He said no casualties were reported among police in the two operations.
Chechnya has seen a surge in violence since the Kremlin officially ended its anti-terrorism operation in April. The republic saw two brutal separatist wars in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Violence has also increased in Russia's other mainly Muslim North Caucasus regions. Attacks on police, security forces and officials have been carried out almost daily being blamed on militants infiltrating from or linked to Chechnya.
