At least six Russian soldiers were killed on Friday when gunmen launched an attack on a military facility in Chechnya, the National Guard said in a statement.  "Six of the attackers were destroyed," the National Guard said. "During the armed combat, six military were killed and there are wounded."

The "armed bandits" stormed the base under heavy fog but failed to enter the facility, said the National Guard, a national security agency created by Russian President Vladimir Putin last year for counterterrorism and border security operations.  The so-called "Islamic State" (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying "six soldiers of the caliphate" were killed in the attack, according to the "Amaq" news agency, which is known for its links to the militant group.

The militants attacked "a military base of the Russian National Guard close to Naurskaya village in northwestern Grozny in Chechnya," said a statement from the militant group. "They clashed with those at the base with light weapons for several hours."

Read more: Deutsche Welle