1 policeman, 1 civilian killed in shootout in Russia's restive Dagestan region

Makhachkala: Dagestan police say two people were killed and two wounded during a shootout between police and unidentified gunmen in the violence-plagued southern Russian region.

The shooting occurred during a routine search operation Tuesday. Regional police spokesman Vyacheslav Gasanov said Wednesday that one policeman and a local resident who had been helping police died as a result.

Gasanov said the gunmen are still at large and a search operation is under way.

Dagestan is plagued by near-daily violence attributed both to criminal gangs and to insurgents apparently inspired by separatist rebels in neighboring Chechnya.