World Bulletin / News Desk

10 people were killed in a shootout in the Dagestan Mountains, 50 km away from the capital of Makhachkala on Tuesday. The dead include 4 fighters and 3 police officers.

In a separate incident, police defused a bomb in Khasavyurt, Dagestan, on Wednesday. Russian authorities and moderate Muslim clerics have been the targets of increased violence in Dagestan as of late.

It is highly believed that the Chechen insurgency is restarting its operations and has spread to different parts of the Caucuses.

The Russian president Vladimir Putin has criticized security forces in the region for their slow progress against the insurgency. This is particularly important for Russia, which is set to host the Winter Olympics in the city of Sochi in February.