Eight more militants have been killed in an anti-terrorist operation in Chechnya, according to the republic president Ramzan Kadyrov.

“A report issued at 09:45 confirms the elimination of eight militants during a security operation,” the Chechen president said. “The participants in the operation continue to hunt the rest of the gang.”

Kadyrov said that he assesses the results of the operation as exceptionally high.

“Arrangements for it were made in absolute secrecy, which helped surround the gang and eliminate nearly one-half of its members within the first few hours,” he said.

According to him, investigators are now working to identify the militants killed during the operation while ten more bandits are being pursued by special forces in the south-east of the region.

The operation comes as violence continues unabated in the North Caucasus republics of Chechnya and Ingushetia. On Thursday morning, Chechen police prevented a suicide bomber from blowing up a police headquarters in the republic.