CHERKESSK, January 2 (RIA Novosti) – One gunman was shot dead when he attacked a police station in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Karachayevo-Cherkessia on Wednesday, a local police spokesman said.

The gunman approached the police station in the Malokarachayevsky district in a car and later opened fire on policemen. Police returned fire, eliminating the attacker, the spokesman said.

The attacker is reportedly a member of the Uzdenov gang, which was neutralized in December, 2011 following a string of attacks on police in the republic and in the neighboring Stavropol region.

The spokesman said the police station attacker is also suspected of killing another member of an illegal armed group and his neighbor earlier on Wednesday. An investigation is ongoing.