15 Killed In Multiple Attacks By Militants In Southern Russia
MOSCOW — On Sunday, armed militants in Russia’s southern republic of Dagestan killed more than 15 police officers and several civilians, including an Orthodox priest, Governor Sergei Melikov announced in a video statement early Monday.
Authorities reported that the gunmen attacked two Orthodox churches, a synagogue, and a police post in two different cities.
Russia’s National Anti-Terrorist Committee has labeled the recent attacks in Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region with a history of armed conflict, as acts of terrorism.
The region will observe days of mourning on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to honor the victims.
According to Dagestan’s Interior Ministry, a group of armed individuals opened fire on a synagogue and a church in Derbent, a city on the Caspian Sea. Both buildings caught fire, as reported by state media. Almost at the same time, there were reports of an attack on another church and a traffic police post in Makhachkala, Dagestan’s capital.
In response, authorities initiated a counter-terrorist operation. The Anti-Terrorist Committee reported that five gunmen were “eliminated,” while the governor stated that six “bandits” had been “liquidated.” The exact number of militants involved remains unclear due to these conflicting reports.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks. The authorities launched a criminal probe on the charge of a terrorist act.
Russian state news agency Tass cited law enforcement sources as saying that a Dagestani official was detained over his sons’ involvement in the attacks.
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