4 gunmen accused of killing police shot dead in Russia

Police in southern Russian have hunted down and killed four suspects following the killing of two police officers. (Photo: Егор Журавлёв/Flickr)

MOSCOW — Police in southern Russian have hunted down and killed four suspects following the killing of two police officers.

The Investigative Committee said the National Guard in the city of Astrakhan found the suspects, who refused to surrender and fired back at officers.

In the ensuing gunbattle early Thursday, all four gunmen were killed and three National Guard officers were wounded.

The shoot-out followed Tuesday’s attack, in which two of the suspects shot two traffic police officers dead at point-blank range and seized their weapons.

On Monday, a suicide bombing on St. Petersburg’s subway killed 13 plus the bomber and wounded more than 50.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack, but Russian trains and planes have been frequent targets of attacks, usually blamed on Islamic militants.