Four militants have been killed after Russian special forces stormed an apartment in St Petersburg as part of an anti-terrorism operation – according to officials. <br /><br /> The Russian Investigating Committee says the men were on a wanted list of suspected members of a group in the volatile North Caucasus region. <br /><br /> “First, there were four loud bangs, then a series of shots. Then bangs and shots again,” described a local resident.<br /><br /> “Balcony windows on the other side of the house were blown away.”<br /><br /> Officials say three of the four men killed had been senior figures in the criminal underworld – responsible for a string of terror attacks and attempted assassinations of police officers. <br /><br /> Weapons, ammunition and improvised explosive devices are said to have been found in the raided apartment.<br />
