Video of police shootout with Chechen gunmen in downtown Chechen capital surfaces online

Witnesses in downtown Grozny have captured a dramatic standoff between police and gunmen who earlier attacked an officer and stole his car. Footage captures non-stop Kalashnikov rounds in the street not far from the Chechen capital’s high-rises.

Russian Security Forces Kill Eight Alleged ISIS Militants.

Russian Security Forces Kill Eight Alleged ISIS Militants.(EUNews).

Russian authorities announced on Sunday that its security forces had killed eight terrorists it says were affiliated with Islamic State (ISIS), after a firefight in the North Caucasus region, west of Chechnya, according to AFP.

Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) made the announcement on Sunday evening after Russian forces ambushed the militants early on Sunday morning in the southern republic of Ingushetia.

"According to information available to the security services, the militants killed in the operation had recently pledged allegiance and became members of the Islamic State international terrorist organization. All of them were complicit in a number of crimes of a terrorist nature, including the killings of law enforcement officers and the extortion of money from entrepreneurs," the statement from the NAC said.

One of the men killed during the firefight, Adam Tagilov, was said to be the leader of the group. Tagilov was suspected of being behind the December 4 terror attacks in the city of Grozny in Chechnya, according to the NAC. The attack killed 25 people, including 14 security officers, after Islamist militants stormed and occupied a police checkpoint, Associated Press publishing house and a school in the city.

During Sunday's combat with the militants, who the the Federal Security Service say they identified in April as belonging to the ISIS-affiliated group "Imarat Kavkaz," the security forces uncovered explosives, handguns and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Read the full story here.

Grozny Luxury skyscraper hotel destroyed in massive blaze,French actor Depardieu's apartment damaged.

Grozny Luxury skyscraper hotel destroyed in massive blaze,French actor Depardieu's apartment damaged.(RT).The blaze that had engulfed the tallest skyscraper in the North Caucasus region of Russia, has been put out, leaving the building almost completely destroyed.

According to information given by local emergency services, the fire that had engulfed the 'Grozny City' skyscraper on Wednesday, was put out in the early hours of Thursday, at 1:30 AM. The blaze has left the 40-floor building in a state of near-complete destruction.

The local emergency service said the call about the fire on between the 4th and 5th floors was received at around 18:00 PM local time (14:00 GMT).

According to witnesses’ pictures that immediately started to appear on Twitter, all stories of the building had been covered in flames. In two hours the fire had completely engulfed three sides of the skyscraper from top to bottom, as the flames spread rapidly due to the plastic trimming on the building. It had also reached the world's largest clock face, located near the apex of the building.

Firefighters had managed to extinguish the flames on the lower floors. However, the fire spread very quickly, making it difficult to tackle the blaze from the ground. Helicopters have been sent from the southern city of Pyatigorsk to help out, but have not received the go-ahead for lift-off.

"We are ready, but the helicopters won't be able to maneuver between the buildings, which are packed tight," said emergency ministry official Aleksandr Barsuk.

In the burning skyscrapers, known collectively as 'Olympus', is an apartment belonging to French film star and tax exile Gerard Depardieu. LifeNews tabloid reports local administration confirmed the Frenchman’s apartment is on the 27th floor, facing the so-called 'heart of Grozny'- central mosque.

“The fire has completely enveloped the right-hand side of the skyscraper. Both the wall and the window of the actor’s apartment have been damaged,” the tabloid quoted a local police source as saying. The Grozny-City complex was partly open in 2011. It consists of seven skyscrapers both condominiums and a hotel: one 40-storey (currently on fire), one 30-storey, three 28-storey and two 18-storey buildings. The completed complex would boast 1000 apartments.

"We will reconstruct the building, and make it more beautiful with help from Allah," said Kadyrov on his Instagram account. Hmmmm......The lord works in mysterious ways, you think he works for the French IRS?Read the full story here.