MAKHACHKALA, September 24 (RIA Novosti) - Three militants and a police officer were killed in a shootout in Dagestan's capital Makhachkala, a local police spokesman said on Thursday.

"Three militants were killed by police in a shootout in Kazbekhov Street in Makhachkala, four policemen were wounded. One of them died in hospital," the spokesman said.

The Russian North Caucasus republics of Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia have seen an upsurge of militant violence of late, with frequent attacks on police.

The Kremlin officially ended its anti-terrorism operation in Chechnya in April. The republic saw two brutal separatist wars in the 1990s and early 2000s.