Security forces in Russia's North Caucasus region of Daghestan say they have killed at least three militants in a special operation.

Media reports in Russia quote security officials in Daghestan as saying the special operation launched on October 10 in the southwestern region of Suleiman-Stal is ongoing.

Officials said one security officer was wounded in the operation.

Daghestan has been at the epicenter of a wave of violence by armed criminal groups and by militants seeking to establish an Islamic caliphate in the North Caucasus.

Organized crime, business turf wars, political disputes, and clan rivalry also contribute to the bloodshed in the region, RFERL.org reports.