Officials said troops had launched a "special operation" 

against fighters in the area [File: EPA]

At least five soldiers and several anti-government fighters have been killed in clashes in Russia's southern Dagestan region. 

Clashes between government security forces and armed opposition groups started on Thursday in the Karabudakhkentsky district, about 30km south of the regional capital Makhachkala.

"This is the third day of a special operation to rid the area of militants," Takhir Ramazanov, the deputy head of Dagestan's internal ministry, told Russia's state-run Vesti-24 television on Saturday.

"It has become clear they have fled to the mountains."

The bodies of 10 fighters were reportedly found after security forces pounded their positions using mortars and helicopter gunships. Four others were shot dead as they drove their car through Makhachkala late on Friday. 

Vesti-24 showed four bodies lying among shattered glass near a battered, white Lada car.

Ramazanov said the men in the car had been involved in "explosions, assassination attempts and attacks on police officers".

'Foreign fighters'

Adilgirei Magomedtagirov, Dagestan's interior minster, said a collection of Kalashnikov rifles, machine guns and a sniper rifle were found where the fighters were hiding in the mountains.

"There are at least three non-Russians with Arab nationality amongst the dead militants, perhaps even four," he said.

"The situation is basically getting worse."

Predominantly Muslim Dagestan, with a population of more than 2.5 million, is in the North Caucasus between Chechnya and the Caspian Sea.

The violence in Dagestan has worsened as neighbouring Chechnya has become more stable under the control of Ramzan Kadyrov, the Moscow-backed president.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2009/03/2009321133856975870.html