Eight militants were killed in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya during a special operation led by the Chechen leader, Interfax news agency reported on Friday.

Eight gunmen have been killed in the operation started on Thursday evening in southeast Chechnya's mountainous area, said Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, who is currently in the area.

The servicemen and police officers involved in the operation are the most experienced and none of them has been injured, Kadyrov said.

The search for the rest of the gang continues, he said.

In April, the Kremlin formally ended an anti-terrorist operation in Chechnya, which has experienced two bloody wars in the past 15 years.

Chechnya, along with its neighboring republics of Dagestan and Ingushetia, has seen a rise in violence in recent months, with attacks on police, officials and troops, and special operations against militants being reported almost daily.