Gunmen opened fire on places of worship in two cities of Russia’s southernmost Dagestan province on Sunday, killing at least 15 police officers, an Orthodox priest and four civilians, in what appeared to be a coordinated attack.
Sergey Melikov, head of the Dagestan Republic, said at least six “militants” were also killed following the attacks on churches, synagogues and police posts in the cities of Derbent and the regional capital Makhachkala, which are about 120 kilometers (75 miles) apart.
The attacks took place in the republic of Dagestan in the North Caucasus, a predominantly Muslim region on the Caspian Sea that has a history of separatist and militant violence. The turbulence in the region has been further fanned by Russia’s war in Ukraine, where ethnic minorities have been disproportionately mobilized to fight.
Video and photos showed large flames and plumes of smoke billowing heavily out of a synagogue in Derbent, while footage filmed from the window of a building in Makhachkala shows black-clad unidentified people shooting at a police car in a street.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks, which come three months after ISIS affiliate ISIS-K said it carried out an assault at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow that claimed more than 140 lives in one of Russia’s deadliest terrorist atrocities in years.
Russian law enforcement agencies told state-run news agency TASS on Sunday that the gunmen in Dagestan were “adherents of an international terrorist organization.”
Russia’s National Antiterrorist Committee (NAC) said Monday that “armed militants attacked two Orthodox churches, two synagogues and police officers” in the two cities. It added that the counter-terrorism operation in Makhachkala and Derbent had ended, TASS reported.
Four civilians were killed in the attacks, Russia’s investigative committee said on Monday, bringing the death toll up to 19.
Dagestan head Melikov also said in a Telegram post early Monday that the active phase of the “operational and combat measures in Makhachkala and Derbent” was completed but further investigations would continue.
Melikov described the possible involvement of “sleeper cells” and suggested the attacks may have had foreign help.
“Operative-search and investigative measures will be carried out until all participants of the sleeper cells are identified, which, undoubtedly, include some that were organized from abroad,” he added.
Three days of mourning have been declared in Dagestan following the deadly shootings, with state flags lowered to half-staff, Melikov said. Financial assistance will also be given to families of the victims, according to TASS.
