Four die in Georgia anti-terror raid

Published: November 23, 2017 10:34:21 | Updated: November 25, 2017 11:47:25

Security forces laid siege to the apartSecurity forces laid siege to the apartment for some 20 hours (Reuters photo)ment for some 20 hours

Three suspected militants and a special forces soldier have been killed in a siege on an apartment in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, reports say.

Explosions and gunfire rocked a block of flats in the Isani district during the 20-hour stand-off, which officials say has ended.

One of the alleged militants was arrested and four soldiers were wounded, officials said.

A BBC reports says the suspects were not thought to be Georgian nationals.

Officials believed them to be members of a "terrorist group" and were working to identify which one, state security administration deputy chief Nino Giorgobiani said.

The security service said they had refused to surrender and were firing and lobbing grenades from inside

Georgia, a mainly Christian country, has not had any jihadist-related incidents in recent years, correspondents say. But it is estimated that about 50 Georgians are fighting or have fought alongside the group known as Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.