Russia says four Islamic State fighters killed in Dagestan

MOSCOW: Russian authorities said Wednesday that security forces had killed four “bandits” linked to the Islamic State group who were planning an attack in the Dagestan republic.

Regional leader Sergei Melikov said the four were killed in “an anti-terrorist operation” during the night in the Caucasus republic’s capital Makhachkala.

He said the group had planned an attack on a police station at Kaspiisk and added in a post on the Telegram channel that the four had been “neutralised”.

Melikov said grenade launchers, home made explosives, grenades and automatic weapons were seized during the operation.

No details were given on the attackers, but Melikov said they were “linked” to the banned Islamic State group.

In March last year, 145 people were killed at a Moscow concert hall in an attack blamed on gunmen from an Islamic State group.