MOSCOW, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Twelve militants were killed in a special operation in Russia's Chechen republic in Northern Caucasus, the Interior Ministry said Thursday.
In addition, at least one serviceman was killed and seven others were wounded during the two-day operation in the Vedeno area of Chechnya, the ministry said.
The operation was conducted by a special forces regiment named after late Chechnya President Akhmad Kadyrov, the father of Ramzan Kadyrov, the current leader of the republic.
Two of those killed -- brothers Muslim and Husein Gakayevs -- used to be warlords and specialized in training suicide bombers, Ramzan Kadyrov told reporters.
Ramzan Kadyrov said the rebel group has trained 27 suicide bombers in recent years.
The Gakayevs brothers reportedly killed seven people and wounded 24 others in Ramzan Kadyrov's native village of Tsentoroi. After that attack, Ramzan Kadyrov promised 10 million rubles (330,000 U.S. dollars) for the capture of Husein Gakayev, dead or alive.
Four other Gakayev brothers were killed earlier during two wars in Chechnya.
Violence is common in the Northern Caucasus since mid-1990s with separatists and extremists frequently attacking governmental, military and police facilities.
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