A Chechen militant linked to a series of violent attacks was killed in Russia's turbulent southern republic of Chechnya, Russian news agencies reported on Friday.

Saidemi Khizriyev, the so-called "emir of Gudermes," was wanted in connection with explosions at two gas stations and an armed attack at a sports club in the city of Gudermes. He was also believed to have planned an assassination attempt against the Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov.

Police tried to detain Khizriyev after trapping him in a residence in the regional capital of Grozny, but he put up armed resistance and was killed by return fire, a police spokesman said.

The North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, along with neighboring Dagestan and Ingushetia, has seen frequent militant violence in recent months despite the end of a decade-long anti-terrorism operation in Chechnya six months ago.

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