A courtyard up in flames... as Russian special forces launch grenades during a battle with insurgents in eastern Dagestan, a contested region of Russia.
Authorities say the rebels released hostages, but spokesman Vadim Druzhinin says the insurgents themselves refused to surrender:
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) NATIONAL ANTI-TERRORISM COMMITTEE SPOKESMAN VADIM DRUZHININ, SAYING:
"In the gunfight that ensued, five bandits were killed. The special operation is continuing. No civilians were hurt, and there are no casualties among the law enforcement forces."
The gunfight comes eight days after a coordinated attack by insurgents on the Chechnyan capital, Grozny that killed more than 25 people.
Both Chechnya and Dagestan are part of Russia's North Caucasus, a mountainous region with a history of rebellion against Moscow and Russian repression dating back centuries.
