MAKHACHKALA, July 15, 2010 (RIA Novosti) 

Two militants killed were killed on Thursday in a special operation by security forces in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, a Federal Security Service (FSB) representative said.

"During a special operation in Khasavyurt two militants were killed," the Dagestani FSB official said, identifying the dead men as Marid Tatayev, born in 1986, and Anzor Gajiyev, born in 1983.

He said they were both residents of Khasavyurt, where Tata ran one of the city's markets.

"The special operation was conducted jointly by the FSB and the Interior Ministry of Dagestan. In its course two policemen received light wounds," the spokesman said. "The active phase of the special operation is complete and investigators are working at the scene."

He said security forces found a stock of weapons in the house, including several grenades, two rifles, two pistols and a large number of cartridges.

The FSB officer added that Tatayev was acquitted by a jury in 2009 over an attack on a police officer. He said Tatayev had been arrested in a hospital after being wounded in a shootout.

He added that two alleged accomplices in the December 2008 attack had been killed in a separate special operation.

Armed violence, including shootouts between law-enforcement officers and militants or criminal groups, is common in Russia's North Caucasus republics.

On Thursday evening, the priest of an evangelical Christian church in the Dagestani capital of Makhachkala was shot dead in the street by unknown assailants, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

He said Artur Suleimanov was killed about 19:00 Moscow time and investigators were working to establish the details of the incident.