Three policeman were killed and eight others were injured in a shootout during a counter-terrorist operation in Ingushetia, southwestern Russia, Russian authorities announced Thursday.

A source in the National Antiterrorism Committee in Ingushetia told (Sputnik) news agency that three police officers were killed and eight others were injured, with varying degrees, during the clashes.

The security source indicated that a clash took place last night between the security forces and an armed group in the Malgobek district in the Republic of Ingushetia, southern Russia.

On March 27, unidentified gunmen fired automatic weapons at a traffic police post on the borders of Ingushetia and North Ossetia, wounding two policemen. The body of one of the alleged attackers was found in the next day in the city of Karabulak with gunshot wounds. (QNA)

Source: Qatar News Agency