Four militants allegedly plotting attacks were killed Tuesday in an operation in the Russian region of Chechnya, its strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov announced, while two members of the security forces were also killed. "Four participants in illegal armed groups were destroyed. They were planning a number of terrorist attacks" and had stocks of weapons, communications equipment and ammunition, Kadyrov said on his Telegram messenger channel. Russia's National Guard took part in the security operation and said two of its officers died and one was wounded and in hospital. Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee published a photo of men in camouflage and bullet-proof vests outside a house, saying that "bandits" had refused to surrender and opened fire with machine guns from inside. The North Caucasus region, where Russian forces fought two wars against separatist in the 1990s and early 2000s, is under the tight control of Kadyrov. His regime has been condemned internationally for persecuting rights activists and for the reported torture and imprisonment of opponents. Kadyrov claimed the would-be attackers came from abroad, saying Chechnya had "long ago" dealt with home-grown extremists. The National Anti-Terrorism Committee also said that two "armed bandits" were killed in Chechnya by security forces Sunday. Kadyrov has sometimes given orders at the scene during such counter-terrorism operations, which often end with the killing of the suspects rather than arrests. am/sjw/jj