Moscow, Sep 25 (IANS/RIA Novosti): Militant activity in southwest Russia's Dagestan region has experienced a significant upswing in the past week, according to the Interior Ministry.

"The [North Caucasus] region has registered a spike in militant activity in Dagestan where nine out of ten terrorist attacks were carried out last week," the North Caucasus office of the ministry said in a statement Monday.

The attacks targeted police officers, servicemen and small and medium businesses. They involved, in general, quick shooting raids tactics.

On Sep 16, militants sprayed a food store with automatic gunfire in Khasavyurt and killed a businessman in the village of Gubden the next day.

Militants attacked a shop in the Babayurt village Sep 18 and set off a bomb near its entrance. A second bomb near the shop was disarmed later by demolition experts.

Overall, police killed a total of 23 militants, including six gang leaders, in the North Caucasus federal district last week.

Eight insurgents were arrested and four surrendered to the authorities.

Police destroyed five militant bases and 17 weapons caches in the region.