CTO regime lifted in Dagestan capital

As reported by the PR Group of the FSB Department for Dagestan, the counterterrorist operation (CTO) regime, introduced in the Primorskiy District of Makhachkala, has been cancelled with the end of special actions.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the CTO regime was introduced today at midnight in the Primorskiy District, where an operation to liquidate militants was underway.

"The CTO regime was lifted after the end of all operative-combat actions," a source of the "Interfax" Agency said.

The combat skirmish burst out at about 10:00 p.m. Moscow time, after a group of armed persons, moving in a VAZ-21099 car, shelled from their automatic firearms a local militia post, and then - the patrol-sentry unit that started chasing them.

After a while, according to law enforcement bodies, the militants hid in a private house in the Laptievа Street and launched a defence. The skirmish with militiamen continued with small breaks till 1:23 a.m. Moscow time. Submachine gun bursts and grenade explosions were heard from the battle-place.

Plenty of armoured machines and law enforcers were brought to the venue, and the area, adjacent to the blocked house, was cordoned by militia units.

According to the MIA, three militants were liquidated in the battle, and their persons are established. According to the militia, "the militants were members of the so-called 'Makhachkala Jama'at' and took part in a series of attacks on employees of law enforcement bodies."

After the fire that onset in the course of the battle was extinguished, sub-machine guns and plenty of ordnance were found in the house, as reported by the ITAR-TASS. The "Gazeta.Ru" adds that there are casualties or victims among law enforcers.