At least 19 killed in attacks on churches and synagogue in Russia's Dagestan

Police officers and civilians are among those killed, with three days of national mourning now being held in the region.


At least 19 people have been killed in attacks on churches and synagogue in Dagestan in southern Russia by armed militants.

The gunmen opened fire on two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police post in two cities, according to the authorities in what Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee described as a “terrorist” attacks.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were declared days of mourning in the region.

Dagestan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said a group of armed men fired at a synagogue and a church in the city of Derbent, located on the Caspian Sea on Sunday.

The ministry said two militants were “eliminated."

Almost simultaneously, reports appeared about an attack on a traffic police post in the capital of the largely Muslim region, Makhachkala. According to RIA Novosti, six policemen were killed and 12 more were injured.

The damaged Kele-Numaz synagogue in Derbent after a counter-terrorist operation in republic of Dagestan, Russia Credit: The Telegram Channel of the head of Dagestan Republic of Russia via AP.

Shamil Khadulaev, deputy chairman of the public monitoring commission of Dagestan, cited by RIA Novosti, said a priest in Derbent and a church security guard in Makhachkala were killed.

Russian state news agency Tass cited law enforcement sources as saying that a Dagestani official was detained over his sons' involvement in the attacks.

Melikov said in the video statement that the situation in the region was under control of the law enforcement and local authorities, and vowed that the investigation of the attacks will continue until “all the sleeping cells” of the militants are uncovered.

He claimed, without providing evidence, that the attacks might have been prepared from abroad, and referenced what the Kremlin calls “the special military operation” in Ukraine in an apparent attempt to link the attacks to it.

Sunday's violence was the latest that officials blamed on Islamic extremists in the predominantly Muslim region in the North Caucasus, as well as the deadliest in Russia since March, when gunmen opened fire at a concert in suburban Moscow, killing 145 people.


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