Russian security forces killed a militant linked to Islamic State in the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan early on Saturday, the government's Anti-Terrorist Committee (NAK) said, according to news agencies.

Special forces and police found Abdula Nustafaev in a house in the village of Gimry and he was killed when he refused to surrender and opened fire, Interfax reported.

NAK, which coordinates anti-terrorism operations, said Nustafaev had been behind an explosion at Irganaiskaya power plant in Dagestan in September 2010 and involved in numerous attempts on the lives of law enforcement officers and civilians.

He swore fealty to Islamic State in 2015, NAK added.

Russia is struggling to quell a simmering Islamic insurgency in the North Caucasus, where some rebels have sworn allegiance to Islamic State.