Gunmen attack in Russia's Dagestan leaves many police dead

MOSCOW,— Gunmen launched attacks on a synagogue, an Orthodox church, and a police post in two cities in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of an Orthodox priest and multiple police officers, according to regional head Sergei Melikov.

In a video posted early Monday on Telegram, Melikov described the events as a profound tragedy for Dagestan and Russia.

Melikov reported that over 15 police officers were “victims” of what he termed a “terrorist attack,” but did not specify the number of fatalities versus injuries. Russia’s Interfax agency confirmed at least 15 police officers were killed.

The coordinated assaults in Makhachkala and Derbent occurred three months after an Islamic State-claimed attack near Moscow killed 145 people, marking Russia’s deadliest terrorist incident in recent years.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the latest attacks in Dagestan, a region long plagued by violence.

“We know who organized these terrorist attacks and their objectives,” Melikov said, withholding further details.

Russian state media, citing law enforcement, reported that two sons of the head of Dagestan’s Sergokala district were among the attackers and had been detained.

In addition to police casualties, several civilians were killed, including an Orthodox priest who had served in Derbent for over 40 years. The Russian Orthodox Church on Telegram identified the priest as Nikolai Kotelnikov, stating he was “brutally murdered.”

Melikov said six gunmen were killed during the incidents. The National Anti-Terrorist Committee confirmed five gunmen were dead.

Reuters could not independently verify the death tolls.

Dagestan declared June 24-26 as days of mourning, with flags at half-staff and entertainment events cancelled.

The region, destabilized by an Islamist insurgency in the 2000s from neighboring Chechnya, had seen fewer attacks in recent years. The Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed in 2017 that it had quelled the insurgency.

Reports described gunfire exchanges in central Makhachkala, a city of about 600,000, with the interior ministry stating exits from the Caspian Sea port had been sealed off to prevent remaining conspirators from fleeing.

Approximately 125 kilometers (75 miles) south, in Derbent, gunmen attacked a synagogue and a church. Both buildings were reported ablaze, with two attackers killed.

Russian media cited the head of the Federation of Jewish Communities urging the public to avoid “provocations.”

In Israel, the Foreign Ministry said the Derbent synagogue was burned down and shots were fired at another synagogue in Makhachkala, noting no worshippers were present at the time.

Russian authorities have previously attributed regional incidents to militant Muslim elements.

In October, following the Gaza war outbreak, rioters stormed Makhachkala airport searching for Jewish passengers from a Tel Aviv flight.

President Vladimir Putin accused the West and Ukraine of inciting unrest in Russia in relation to the incident.

(With files from Reuters)