Published on 06/23/2024 – 19:56 CEST•Last update
06/24/2024 – 6:28 CEST
An armed group opened fire in two cities in Dagestan in a double terrorist attack. More than sixteen people were killed, while a few dozen people were injured. The attacks were not claimed
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The death toll from combined attacks in Dagestan rises on Sunday. At least sixteen people were killedincluding 15 law enforcement officers and a priest.
According to local authorities, some civilians also lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on one synagogue, two Orthodox churches and a checkpoint in Derbent and Makhachkala, two cities of Southern Russia in the Autonomous Republic of Dagestan.
Another 25 people were injured, while six of the alleged attackers were neutralized by the anti-terrorism group.
“Six armed men were killed. Further operational search and investigative actions will continue until all participants in the attacks are discovered dormant cellswhich were certainly prepared mainly from abroad”, said the governor of the Republic, Sergey Melikov quoted by the Russian news agency Tass.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attacks. Authorities have opened a criminal investigation on charges of a terrorist act, while the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said it had begun control operations in the region.
The situation in Dagestan “is now under the control of the authorities and law enforcement agencies,” Melikov added.
According to the Interior Ministry of Dagestan, a group of unknown persons opened fire with automatic weapons against a synagogue and two Orthodox churches in the city of Derbent around 6pm, Moscow time. In a separate attack, a police checkpoint was also hit Makhachkala.
The operations took place three months after what was defined as worst terrorist attack in Russia of recent years, where 145 people were killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State in a concert hall near Moscow.
Dagestan is an autonomous republic of Russia bordering Chechnya and Georgia.
