Police storm house in troubled Russian region, killing 8 gunmen

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Police troops stormed a house in the capital of Russia's troubled region of Dagestan on Monday, killing eight militants, including two women, a law enforcement official said. The raid was the latest in a string of standoffs between police and armed groups in the region bordering violence-wracked Chechnya. Police forces had blockaded the house in Makhachkala before dawn, after receiving reports that an armed gang was holed up there. Regional Interior Ministry spokesman Mark Tolchinsky said eight militants were confirmed dead and police were still searching for more bodies. Russian TV showed heavilyy armored vehicles and soldiers moving through neighborhoods as the constant sound of gunfire and explosions crackled in the background.