Gunmen launched coordinated attacks in Russia’s southernmost Dagestan province, targeting law enforcement officers and religious institutions. The assaults took place in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala, resulting in the deaths of six officers and a priest. Another twelve officers were wounded in the incidents, though it remains unclear in which city.
According to reports from Dagestan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, two militants were killed as a result of the attacks. The unfortunate victims included Father Nikolay, a 66-year-old priest in Derbent, who was brutally killed with his throat slit. A security guard at the church, armed only with a pistol, also lost his life while attempting to defend the premises. Additional priests sought safety inside the church, awaiting assistance.
BREAKING:
Terror attack in Dagestan, Russia
Videos of k*lled police officers are circulating online pic.twitter.com/MBjAuL8ytY [1]
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 23, 2024 [2]
Simultaneously, the synagogue in Derbent was engulfed in flames, releasing towering plumes of smoke. The severe attack left the sacred space in ruins.
BREAKING:
A terrorist attack on a Jewish synagogue and a church in Russia’s Dagestan.
Five police officers were killed, and nine more were injured. pic.twitter.com/NnowMks4pR [3]
— Globe Eye News (@GlobeEyeNews) June 23, 2024 [4]
In a separate incident, gunmen targeted a police traffic post in Makhachkala, where one officer sustained injuries. Dagestan’s regional head, Sergey Melikov, denounced the assailants’ attempt to destabilize the social fabric and praised the bravery of the police officers, some of whom tragically lost their lives in the line of duty. Melikov announced the establishment of an operational headquarters and the initiation of a counteroperation, codenamed “Interception,” while urging the public to remain calm in the face of this adversity.
The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia promptly launched a terror investigation under the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Their aim is to establish the identities of the attackers and hold them accountable for their actions.