MOSCOW, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia's President Vladimir Putin issued a decree on Friday, dismissing several high-ranking security and law enforcement officials from their posts, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

    Putin sacked Major-General E. A. Kolesnikov from the post of First Deputy Chief of the Federal Security Service (FSB), which is responsible for the defense of Russia's constitutional system and the struggle against terrorism, according to the report.

    Putin also kicked out Major-General A. P. Plotnikov, who was Deputy chief of the investigations department of the FSB.

    Lieutenant-General S. I. Fomenko was also dropped from the post of Deputy department chief for prevention of contraband and drugs trafficking, also of the FSB, the report said.

    The report, however, did not offer reasons for the firings. But in his annual state of the nation address earlier this week, Putin vowed a tougher line on corruption in government departments. Enditem