ROSTOV ON DON, November 13 (RIA Novosti) - Three militants were killed in a security operation in the south Russian republic of Ingushetia on Friday, a local law enforcement officer said.

He said they were killed in a shootout with security forces when their car was stopped at 9:40 Moscow time (6:40 GMT) on the Magas-Ali Yurt highway.

One of the militants was Vakha Bekov, on the federal wanted list since 2004, while the other two have yet to be identified.

Attacks on troops, police and other officials have been reported almost daily in Ingushetia and Russia's other North Caucasus republics in recent months.

On August 17, Ingushetia was rocked by a suicide bombing which killed at least 20 people and injured 260 people. In June, Ingush President Yunus-Bek Yevkurov survived a car bomb attack on his motorcade.