MOSCOW, January 17 (RIA Novosti) - Two people, killed in a special operation in Russia’s North Caucasus on Wednesday, were militants who prepared a series of attacks in the area, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAK) said.

“According to our data, members of the eliminated armed group were involved in attacks on law-enforcers and extortion of money from the republic’s businessmen. They also plotted attacks on law-enforcers and officials in January and February,” the NAK statement reads. “Therefore, a series of militant attacks on the republic’s territory was prevented by prompt actions of the FSB and the Interior Ministry.”

A special anti-terrorism operation was declared in the city of Tyrnyauz in Kabardino-Balkaria after a group of three suspected militants was blocked in a five-storey building. A two-year-old girl and a woman, believed to be an accomplice of the gunmen, were in the apartment where the gunmen took refuge.

In the course of negotiations, the child was allowed to leave the apartment, but the woman refused to leave. The apartment was stormed when the gunmen fired shots at law-enforcers. Two suspected militants, aged 20 and 22, and the 25-year-old woman, were killed in the shootout.

Law-enforcers also detained three persons believed to be accomplices of the gunmen.

Two assault rifles, a grenade, a pistol and ammunition were found in the apartment. The militants have also installed five homemade bombs in the dwelling, three of them detonated when law-enforcers burst into. The statement did not mention any injuries or casualties among the law-enforcers.