3 militants killed in Ingushetia - 31 May, 2004

Three militants were killed in Ingushetia (republic in the North Caucasus bordering on Chechnya). A suicide bomber belt and a lot of plastic explosives were discovered on the site, a source in Ingushetia's law enforcement bodies told RIA Novosti on Monday.

According to the source, yesterday at 2 p.m. Moscow time, when a private house in Nazran was being checked, three participants in illegal armed formations put up armed resistance to police and Federal Security Service officers. The militants, including 37-year-old Chechen Muslim Salamov and 44-year-old Chechen Ramzan Natayev were killed by return fire on site. The personality of the third bandit is being identified.

Three officers of the FSB Department for Ingushetia were wounded. They were taken to a Vladikavkaz hospital.

The source said a lot of weapons and explosives were discovered on the scene. In particular, law enforcers found a khaki belt with 4 TNT blocks weighing 200 g each with detonators attached to them. 30 kg of plastic explosives, five remote-controlled fuses, 200 g of TNT, seven grenades, two Makarov handguns and three Koran books were found as well.

Investigation is underway.