A Battle Near Dagestani Village of Sagada

ROSTON-ON-DON, December 20 (RIA Novosti) - A battle between the federal forces and a group of militants took place near the village of Sagada located on the administrative border between the Tsuntinsky and Tsumandinsky districts of Dagestan, Magomedali Magomedov, Chairman of Dagestan's State Council, told journalists (Dagestan is an autonomous North Caucasus republic neighboring on Chechnya).

According to Magomedov, who cited a report submitted by the Dagestani Interior Minister, the federal forces engaged in battle with a group numbering about 18 militants.

He said that the militants had suffered casualties. At the moment, it is impossible to say how many bandits were killed, since the scene of the battle was continually under fire, which hindered a reconnaissance operation. Besides, Magomedali Magomedov said, bad weather conditions caused additional difficulties.

According to him, weather has been changing for the better today.

Chairman of Dagestan's State Council said that the band of militants that had infiltrated into the republic earlier this week totaled 37 men. Now, the gang has split into two groups. It was one of those that the federal forces engaged in battle near Sagada.

According to Magomedov, local residents help the federal forces to eliminate the gang, volunteering as guides across the mountainous terrain of the search operation.

Magomedali Magomedov believes that it would be improper to compare the current infiltration of militants into Dagestan with the aggression of 1999. Then, the bandits set the goal of breaking Dagestan away from Russia. "Today, there is not a single house under militants' control in Dagestan," the Chairman of Dagestan's State Council emphasized.