Shootout in Dagestan leaves up to 8 dead

Russian forces claim that they have killed eight separatist fighters in a gun battle in Dagestan.

The Russian special forces agency, the FSB, claims the eight were killed after they were trapped in a house in central Makhachkala. One of those reporteded to have died is said to be the Commander of separatist forces in the city. The FSB said it suffered no losses during the attack.

Russian forces are known to play down their losses and exaggerate those suffered by separatists in the Caucasus region as there is no way of independently verifying any claims. So far the rebels have not made any comment on the incident. The Russian Military has also confirmed that three of it's soldiers were wounded in a bomb attack in Makhachkala on Thursday.

If the claim is true it would be one of the heaviest losses suffered by rebels in recent years. Last month, ten Russian soldiers and two FSB agents were killed in a shootout with rebels in a forest in southern Dagestan and in recent weeks separatists have conducted a camapign of targeted assassinations against government officials and senior police officers.