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| Gang kills seven in Russian sauna | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Russian police are hunting gunmen who killed seven women at a sauna and four policemen at a checkpoint in the troubled southern region of Dagestan. | |
| The attack happened on Thursday in the town of Buynaksk, 41km (25 miles) from the regional capital Makhachkala. | The attack happened on Thursday in the town of Buynaksk, 41km (25 miles) from the regional capital Makhachkala. |
| Police say they know the identities of some of the gunmen, who fled into a forest after the attack. | Police say they know the identities of some of the gunmen, who fled into a forest after the attack. |
| Police shot and killed three militants in a separate incident on Friday, near a village in Dagestan, officials say. | Police shot and killed three militants in a separate incident on Friday, near a village in Dagestan, officials say. |
| In Thursday's attack, at least 15 gunmen opened fire on a traffic police checkpoint on the edge of Buynaksk, Russian media quoted local police as saying. | In Thursday's attack, at least 15 gunmen opened fire on a traffic police checkpoint on the edge of Buynaksk, Russian media quoted local police as saying. |
| The gunmen are reported to have hijacked a minibus, which they later abandoned. | The gunmen are reported to have hijacked a minibus, which they later abandoned. |
| They went on to attack a sauna at a nearby health complex, killing seven women workers there. | They went on to attack a sauna at a nearby health complex, killing seven women workers there. |
| Dagestan has been plagued by violence in recent years, much of it linked to the conflict between security forces and separatist rebels in neighbouring Chechnya, a mainly Muslim Russian republic. | Dagestan has been plagued by violence in recent years, much of it linked to the conflict between security forces and separatist rebels in neighbouring Chechnya, a mainly Muslim Russian republic. |
| Russian forces have fought two wars against Islamist rebels in Chechnya since 1994. The conflicts claimed more than 100,000 lives and left it in ruins. | Russian forces have fought two wars against Islamist rebels in Chechnya since 1994. The conflicts claimed more than 100,000 lives and left it in ruins. |
| Clashes with militants are also common in Ingushetia, which borders on Chechnya to the west. | Clashes with militants are also common in Ingushetia, which borders on Chechnya to the west. |