Four security officers and six militants have been killed in Russia's volatile North Caucasus region of Daghestan.

Law enforcement officials say the casualties are the result of two separate counterterrorist operations conducted in the region on June 17.

Preliminary investigations indicate that one of the militants killed might be Gasan Abdullayev, a commander of Islamic militants wanted since 2009 for alleged involvement in a series of attacks against security forces.

Officials say Abdullayev was also known for publicly pledging allegiance to the Islamic State extremist group.

Daghestan has been at the epicenter of a wave of violence by armed criminal groups and militants seeking to establish an Islamic caliphate in the North Caucasus.

Organized crime, business turf wars, political disputes, and clan rivalry also contribute to the bloodshed in the region.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax