Members of Russia's special forces stand guard during an operation on militants on the outskirts of Makhachkala, capital of the Republic of Dagestan, January 18, 2014. (Reuters Photo)

MOSCOW, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian security forces had busted a criminal cell linked to the Islamic State (IS) in the country's Dagestan region, Russia's National Anti-terrorism Committee (NAC) said Sunday.

The Federal Security Service and Interior Ministry forces killed one suspect and detained three others of an IS-related cell in the Republic of Dagestan, said an NAC statement.

The four suspects plotted attacks on government bodies and local residents in Dagestan, said NAC.

Dagestan is a hotbed of Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus close to the conflict-ridden Middle East. Repeated violent attacks have plagued the region for years.