Gunmen have targeted synagogues, Orthodox churches and police stations in the southern Russian Republic of Dagestan.
The southern Russian republic of Dagestan was rocked on June 23 by a series of deadly attacks in two major cities, with attackers deliberately targeting worshippers at synagogues and Orthodox churches.
Dagestan is one of Russia's predominantly Muslim regions in the North Caucasus, stretching along the coast of the Caspian Sea.
The attacks occurred in the capital Makhachkala and Derbent, a large city 120 km to the south.
Police cordon off a neighborhood after a terrorist attack in Dagestan, Russia, June 23, 2024.
Attacks in Derbent
Security officials confirmed that gunmen brutally killed the church's high priest, Nikolay Kotelnikov, during a raid on a Catholic church in the city.
The Russian Jewish community also reported an attack on the Derbent synagogue. A police team was present outside the church to ensure security. There were also security guards inside the church. The attack occurred about 40 minutes before the prayer service.
“Police officers and security forces faced attacks by terrorists and were killed in the fight. They then used petrol bombs to set fire to the synagogue,” the Russian Jewish Community said in a statement.
Attacks in Makhachkala
The violence in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagenstan, appears to have started with a raid on a traffic police station. Among the videos circulating online is one that shows a group of three men. Two of them are shooting while the third appears to be hijacking a police car.
There is little information available about the attacks in Makhachkala, however, the Russian Jewish Community confirmed that a synagogue in Makhachkala was attacked in a similar manner to the one in Derbent.
Some media initially reported that gunmen had taken hostages at a Catholic church in Makhachkala. However, later reports said that more than a dozen people had barricaded themselves inside the church due to a nearby gunfight. According to Dagestan officials, the group was not in danger.
The “evil” target of terrorists
The head of the Russian Federation's Dagestan Republic, Sergey Melikov, said on the morning of June 24 that although the anti-terrorist operation in both Makhachkala and Derbent had ended, authorities would continue to investigate until they identified all those involved in the above terrorist attacks.
Multiple media outlets, citing police sources, said two of the gunmen killed in Makhachkala were identified as sons of a city leader. The man has been arrested, according to media reports.
Some Russian officials said the gunmen were members of an international terrorist organization.
Reports of the death toll are inconsistent, with authorities confirming at least 15 deaths, including police and civilians.
A total of 16 people, including 13 police officers, were taken to the main regional hospital in Makhachkala on June 23, the regional Interior Ministry said.
Representatives of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities in Russia have condemned the attacks on churches and synagogues.
Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, said the perpetrator was seeking to incite religious hatred and called the target “demonic.”
Patriarch Kirill called: “Everything must be done to prevent the radicalization of religious life and to eradicate all forms of extremism and ethnic hostility.”
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