Three police officers were killed and one was injured in a clash with militants in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Dagestan, a spokesman for the republic's interior ministry said.
The shootout began on Wednesday evening, when a police unit was combing woodland near the village of Agvali. There are no reports of casualties among militants, RIA Novosti reported.
Terrorist attacks and shootouts with police are common in Russia's troubled North Caucasus republics, especially in Dagestan and neighboring Chechnya and Ingushetia.
The Kremlin has vowed to clamp down on militant groups while stepping up efforts to boost the local economy.