Gunmen shoot dead two law enforcement officers in Russia's Chechnya: reports

At least one of the attackers was killed by return fire, according to TASS news agency

MOSCOW:

Gunmen killed two law enforcement officers in the centre of Grozny, capital of the southern Russian region of Chechnya, on Monday, and at least one of the attackers was killed by return fire, the Interfax and TASS news agencies said, citing sources.

There was no immediate comment from the police or authorities.

Chechnya, a poor and mainly-Muslim region, has been dogged by attacks and an insurgency since Moscow fought two brutal wars with separatists there following the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.

Two men could be seen lying in the middle of a busy street in Grozny, 1,490 km (930 miles) south of Moscow, as police redirected traffic, in footage from the scene circulated on social media.

A source told TASS that one of the attackers was killed, while a second was injured. Interfax reported that two assailants had been killed.

Fatal attacks on law enforcement officers are not uncommon in the region.

In October, two police officers were killed in a shoot-out with militants in Grozny.