Gunmen kill at least six police and a priest in attacks in Dagestan

4 days ago 5

Moscow: Gunmen opened occurrence astatine a synagogue, an Orthodox religion and a constabulary station successful Russia’s North Caucasus portion of Dagestan, sidesplitting six policemen and injuring 12, the region’s Russian quality agencies quoted the interior ministry arsenic saying.

A section spiritual organisation successful the chiefly Muslim portion enactment the decease toll astatine nine, including 7 constabulary officers.

Footage shared connected societal media of the gunman carrying retired the onslaught successful Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Dagestan.

The Interior Ministry, quoted by Russian quality agencies, said 4 gunmen had been changeable dormant arsenic the incidents unfolded. A section authoritative said different had been killed during a shootout astatine a religion successful Makhachkala, the region’s main administrative centre.

An Orthodox clergyman besides was reported to person been killed.

Restive Dagestan was successful the 2000s deed by an Islamist insurgency spilling implicit from neighbouring Chechnya, with Russian information forces moving aggressively to combat extremists successful the region.

The agencies reported exchanges of gunfire successful the centre of Makhachkala, a portion with a agelong coastline connected the Caspian Sea.

An unofficial transmission connected the Telegram messaging app, Mash, said constabulary were preparing to tempest a gathering wherever gunmen were holed up successful Derbent, astir 125 kilometres further south.

The gunmen attacked a synagogue and a religion successful Derbent, location to an past Jewish assemblage and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Interior Ministry was quoted arsenic saying that some the synagogue and religion were ablaze.

The caput of Dagestan’s determination authorities vowed stiff punishment for “whichever forces lies down these disgusting actions”.

In Israel, the Foreign Ministry said the synagogue successful Derbent had been burned to the crushed and shots had been fired astatine a 2nd synagogue successful Makhachkala. The connection said it was believed determination were nary worshippers successful the synagogue astatine the time.

Russian authorities person pointed to militant Muslim elements successful erstwhile incidents successful the region.

Last October, aft the warfare successful Gaza broke out, rioters waving Palestinian flags broke down solid doors and rampaged done Makhachkala airdrome to look for Jewish passengers connected a formation arriving from Tel Aviv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West and Ukraine of stirring up unrest wrong Russia successful transportation with the incident.

More to come

Reuters