MOSCOW - At least three militants were killed during a counter-terrorism operation in Kazan, the capital of Russia's Tatarstan republic, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.

"Three Islamists have been killed and there were no civilian losses," the ministry was quoted by Interfax as saying.

Meanwhile, two policemen were also killed and another two injured when the special forces broke into an apartment in the city of Kazan, 700 km east of Moscow.

The residents of the nearby buildings have been evacuated to a safer place before the operation, which aimed to destroy the group of suspected radical Islamists.

According to police, one of the militants killed carried explosives on his belt.

Security situation in the republic of Tatarstan, predominantly Muslim region on Volga River, became deteriorating after July's attacks on moderate Muslim leaders.

Due to the attacks, Tatarstan's mufti Ildus Faizov was severely injured, and his former deputy Valiulla Yakupov dead.