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Gunmen launched coordinated attacks on a synagogue, an Orthodox church, and a police post in Dagestan, Russia, resulting in the deaths of six police officers and the injury of 12 others. The region's Interior Ministry confirmed the tragic incident, which occurred in two cities in the North Caucasus region.
A video obtained by Reuters showed a building engulfed in flames in Derbent, a city in Dagestan, following the attacks. Reuters was able to verify the location through building configuration, color, and roof that matched street and satellite imagery. However, the specific building on fire could not be confirmed.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, which come three months after a terrorist attack near Moscow claimed by ISIS. The attackers were reported to be two sons of the head of a district in Dagestan, who were subsequently detained by investigators.
The Interior Ministry reported that four gunmen were shot dead during the incidents, with another killed during a shootout at a church in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan. Local reports suggested a higher death toll, including seven police officers.
Dagestan has a history of Islamist insurgency, with Russian security forces previously combating extremists in the region. Street fights erupted in Makhachkala following the attacks, prompting the closure of exits from the city.
MOSCOW (AP) — More than 15 police officers and several civilians, including an Orthodox priest, were killed by armed militants in Russia’s southern republic of Dagestan on Sunday, its governor Sergei Melikov said in a video statement early Monday.
The gunmen opened fire on two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police post in two cities, according to the authorities.
Russia’s National Anti-Terrorist Committee described the attacks in the predominantly Muslim region with a history of armed insurgency as terrorist acts.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were declared days of mourning in the region.
Dagestan’s Interior Ministry said a group of armed men shot at a synagogue and a church in the city of Derbent, located on the Caspian Sea. Both the church and the synagogue caught fire, according to state media. Almost simultaneously, reports appeared about an attack on a church and a traffic police post in the Dagestan capital, Makhachkala.
Authorities announced a counter-terrorist operation in the region. The Anti-Terrorist Committee said five gunmen were “eliminated.” The governor said six “bandits” had been “liquidated.” The conflicting numbers couldn’t be immediately reconciled and it wasn’t clear how many militants were involved in the attacks.
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.
In March, gunmen opened fire on a crowd at a concert hall in suburban Moscow, killing 145 people. An affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, but Russian officials also sought to link Ukraine to the attack without providing any evidence. Kyiv has vehemently denied any involvement.
originally posted by: Boomer1947
a reply to: nugget1
Just a wild guess, but possibly a Muslim action to show solidarity with HAMAS against Israel and its Christian nation supporters.
originally posted by: crayzeed
a reply to: nugget1
Sorry but the "no immediate claim of responsibility" was a mite misleading because on the BBC news the Islamic Brotherhood claimed responsibility a couple of hours after.