(C) Meduza This story was originally published by Meduza and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Gunmen in Russia’s Dagestan attack religious sites and police post, killing at least ten — Meduza [1] [] Date: 2024-06-24 At least 10 people were killed and dozens reportedly injured in simultaneous attacks on religious sites and a police post in Russia’s Dagestan region on Sunday evening, according to reports from local authorities and the media. In the city of Derbent, gunmen opened fire on the Orthodox Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin, reported the Telegram channel Baza. Witnesses described hearing gunfire and seeing smoke rising from around the church. Dagestan’s Interior Ministry confirmed that both the Orthodox church and a synagogue in Derbent were attacked with automatic weapons around 6:00 p.m. local time. The attackers reportedly fled in a white Volkswagen Polo. Videos shared on Telegram show the burning synagogue and damaged police vehicles. Around the same time, a fire broke out at a synagogue in the regional capital, Makhachkala. Videos from the scene show smoke billowing from the synagogue’s third-floor windows. The local Interior Ministry branch then reported that armed men had also attacked a police post. Footage from Makhachkala shows gunmen in black clothing shooting at passing police cars with automatic weapons. Footage of the synagogue fire in Derbent A video taken during the shootout in Makhachkala According to information from Dagestan’s Interior Ministry, six police officers were killed in the attacks and another 12 were wounded. Baza wrote that a civilian in the Derbent synagogue was also killed. The Muftiate of Dagestan reported nine deaths, including seven police officers, and 25 people injured. Father Nikolai, an Orthodox priest, was killed during the attack on the church in Derbent, reported Shamil Khadulaev, chairman of the Public Monitoring Commission of Dagestan. Khadulaev added that the 66-year-old priest’s throat was slit. Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee confirmed the priest’s death. The Anti-Terrorism Committee also announced the implementation of a counter-terrorist operation regime in Dagestan “to ensure the safety of citizens, suppress terrorist acts, and apprehend those involved in the armed attacks.” In turn, Russia’s Investigative Committee announced that it had launched criminal probes on charges of “terrorist acts.” Four of the gunmen involved in the attack in Makhachkala were killed, according to Dagestan’s Interior Ministry. Earlier reports indicated a shootout between the attackers and law enforcement officers near the church, where 19 people were reportedly sheltering. Videos purportedly showing the bodies of the deceased gunmen are circulating on Telegram, along with footage claiming that two more suspects were detained on a beach in Makhachkala. In Derbent, the perpetrators of the attack on the church and synagogue holed up in a nearby building, according to an Interfax source in law enforcement. The surrounding area was cordoned off. The Anti-Terrorism Committee later reported that two of the gunmen had been killed and that the “active phase of the counter-terrorist operation” in the city had concluded as of 11:00 p.m. local time. In Makhachkala, the operation to apprehend the perpetrators was ongoing as of 11:00 p.m. local time, according to Interfax, with all exits from the city blocked. The Interior Ministry’s press service stated that, “according to available information, the militants’ accomplices may attempt to escape and leave the city.” Update: According to the Anti-Terrorism Committee, five of the suspected attackers were killed as a result of the counter-terrorism operation, RIA Novosti reported around 1:30 a.m. local time on Monday. Sign up for Meduza’s daily newsletter A digest of Russia’s investigative reports and news analysis. If it matters, we summarize it. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.meduza.io/en/feature/2024/06/24/gunmen-in-russia-s-dagestan-attack-religious-sites-and-police-post-killing-at-least-ten Published and (C) by Meduza Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/meduza/