| A GUNBATTLE between riot police and a group of armed men in the forests of southern Russia early today left three police and three unidentified gunmen dead, the regional interior ministry said. Another two gunmen who escaped during the exchange of fire were tracked down and killed, Dagestan Interior Minister Aldigirei Magomedtagirov said. The police had been conducting a search operation in the forests near the village of Talgi, about 10km south-east of Dagestan's regional capital, Makhachkala, when they found the armed men in a tent, ministry spokeswoman Angela Martirosova said. The men opened fire on the police, she said. It was not immediately clear who the men were, but Magomedtagirov said they had been living in well-equipped tents and appeared to be a highly organised group. No details were given about how many men were involved. |