Gunmen opened fire on a police post in the city of Derbent in the Russian republic of Dagestan overnight, killing two police officers, Ria Novosti agency quoted the local interior ministry as saying Sunday.
Another police officer was wounded in the attack, the report said.
Violence is common in Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus republics, especially Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia, with militants frequently targeting police and officials as representatives of Russian authorities, Xinhua reported.
The Kremlin has taken measures to improve the local economy and employment and tackle the problems of clan rivalries and corruption, in its effort to prevent locals from being misled into joining terrorist groups in the region.