Russian security forces have clashed in Chechnya with a dozen militants after Moscow formally ended a military crackdown in place for the last decade, reports said on Friday.

The Russian security forces clashed with the group outside the settlement of Dai in Chechnya and used artillery fire, the Interfax and RIA Novosti news agencies quoted security sources as saying.

There were no casualties amongst the security forces, it said. The clash took place at 10:50 am (0650 GMT) on Thursday but these were the first reports to have emerged.

Russia at midnight Wednesday-Thursday ended its decade-long “counter-terrorist operation” in Chechnya, claiming stability had returned to a territory torn apart by two wars since the collapse of communism.

This was the first reported clash since the security regime was abolished.

Moscow fought two full-scale wars with separatist forces in Chechnya after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but the situation has largely stabilised in recent years under strongman pro-Moscow local leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

Clash in Chechnya after end of security regime