At least nine people have been killed and 25 others injured in what appear to be coordinated attacks by gunmen in Russia’s southernmost province of Dagestan, according to local authorities.
Attacks were reported at churches, synagogues and during a traffic stop in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala, about 120 km (75 miles) apart.
The dead included seven law enforcement officers, a priest and a church security guard, according to local authorities. Four “militants” were also killed, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
“According to the information I received, Father Nikolai was killed in the church in Derbent, they cut his throat. He was 66 years old and very ill,” said Shamil Khadulaev, chairman of the Dagestan Public Supervision Commission.
He also said a church security guard, armed only with a pistol, was shot dead.
One of the killed law enforcement officers was the head of the “Lights of Dagestan” police department Mavludin Khidirnabiev, according to the telegram from the Dagestan Interior Ministry.
In a church in Makhachkala, 19 people locked themselves in for safety reasons during a shootout that ended in the death of at least one attacker, the TASS agency reported citing the Interior Ministry of Dagestan.
Meanwhile, a synagogue in Derbent was set on fire with photos showing large flames and plumes of smoke billowing heavily from a series of windows on at least one floor of the structure.
Attacks were also reported on a synagogue in Makhachkala and a police station in Makhachkala.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry described what it called a “combined attack” on the two synagogues.
“The synagogue in Derbent was set on fire and burned to the ground. The local guards were killed. The Makhachkala synagogue was attacked by gunfire, there are no further details,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“As far as is known, there were no worshipers in the synagogues at the time of the attack, and there are no known victims among the Jewish community,” according to the statement.
The head of the Republic of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, published a message on Telegram saying that “unknown persons tried to destabilize the social situation. Dagestan police blocked their way. According to initial information, there are victims among them.”
Melikov said the identity of the attackers was being established, an operational headquarters had been set up and a counter-operation plan “Interception” was underway.
He urged the public to remain calm, saying: “They were counting on panic and fear… They won’t get that from the Dagestanis!
The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Republic of Dagestan said it had opened a terrorist investigation into the attacks under the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
“All the circumstances of the incident and the persons involved in the terrorist attacks are being established, and their actions will be subject to legal assessment,” the statement from the Investigative Directorate said.
This is a developing story and is currently being updated.
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