MOSCOW, October 16 (RIA Novosti) - A militant has been killed in a shootout in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, a police source said on Friday.

He said the shootout took place on Thursday in the small town of Eshilhotoy, in Chechnya's southeastern Vedeno District.

"No police officers were wounded. The militant, a local resident who was on the federal wanted list, was killed," the police official said, adding a grenade was found at the scene.

Also on Thursday, two suspected militants were detained in Chechnya's northeastern Shelkovskoy District.

Russia's North Caucasus republics, in particular Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia, have seen an upsurge of militant violence this year, with frequent attacks on police and officials.

Russian police and interior troops have so far killed or detained some 750 militants in the North Caucasus region, including Chechnya, in 2009.

Since 2003, a total of 2,186 militants were killed and 6,295 were detained in the North Caucasus.