MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Saturday it had killed nine militants who had been plotting a terrorist act in the volatile Dagestan region in the south of the country.

Russia’s anti-terrorist committee said on its website it had received information that militants who planned to carry out an attack early next month were hiding in Derbent, the second biggest city of the Muslim-majority republic of Dagestan.

Russian special forces detected two groups of militants in different parts of the city. The militants opened fire after being ordered to lay down their arms and were shot dead.

There were no casualties among civilians or special forces, it said.

Separately, Russia’s Federal Security Service said on its website it had killed an Islamic State militant in the neighboring Stavropol region. The militant had planned an attack on the regional government buildings.