Four suspected Russian militants were killed in a counter-terrorism raid in St. Petersburg, officials said Wednesday.
The shoot-out occurred while intelligence officers were raiding apartments in search of suspected Islamic insurgents, The Associated Press reported.
FSB officers in riot gear surrounded the apartment block, and the suspects opened fire when officers tried to detain them.
Three of the men killed were named as Zalim Shebzukhov, Astemir Sheriev, and Vyacheslav Nyrov. They were said to be leaders of an underground terrorist movement in Russia's North Caucasus, where officials have been battling militant groups for more than a decade, the BBC reported.
Witnesses described hearing gunshot and explosions during the incident, Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty reported. Residents of the apartments were evacuated but have since been allowed back into their homes.
Extremism is more common in North Caucasus, and encounters with insurgents rarely happen in areas like St. Petersburg, the BBC said.
No officers or civilians were injured in the shoot-out. Weapons and explosive devices were found in the apartment.
Russia is on high alert for terrorist attacks after the country’s military intervention in Syria angered Islamic State (ISIS) members, ABC News reported.
The country's FSB security service said it has foiled numerous terrorist plots and increased anti-terrorism operations in recent weeks.
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