At least six police officers and a priest were killed in attacks in two cities in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan. The attacks occurred after gunmen opened fire on Sunday at a synagogue, two churches, and a police post, according to the local interior ministry.
More than twelve police officers were injured in what appeared to be coordinated assaults, as reported by Russian state news agencies, citing local law enforcement. These shootings took place in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, and Derbent, a city near the Azerbaijan border.
By Sunday evening, the exact distribution of casualties between the two cities remained unclear. However, Derbent police officials reported that gunmen attacked a synagogue and a church, resulting in the death of at least one police officer and wounding another.
Videos posted by Russian state news agencies showed the Derbent synagogue engulfed in flames. Local police stated that both the synagogue and the church had been "burned down."
In Makhachkala, gunmen fired on a street that also hosts a local synagogue. According to videos posted by Dagestan’s Ministry of Interior, the gunmen roamed the city, shooting and forcing people out of their cars.
The Russian Investigative Committee and local authorities are continuing their investigations into these incidents.
The Russian Investigative Committee, equivalent to the F.B.I., announced it had started a terrorism investigation into the attacks.
Dagestan is predominantly Muslim but also has a Jewish community, and it has seen significant violence for at least thirty years. However, ethnic and religious tensions have escalated since the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza began in October.
In October, a mob stormed an airport in Makhachkala, searching for Jewish passengers arriving from Israel. This attack alarmed Jews in Russia and was condemned by the Israeli government.
Sergei Melikov, the head of Dagestan, stated that Sunday's attacks seemed aimed at "destabilizing the public situation."
At least four gunmen were killed by law enforcement, according to local police. Some attackers remain at large, and the police have blocked entrances to Makhachkala to prevent their escape.
At least two of the attackers were captured by police, as reported by Russia’s Interfax news agency, citing law enforcement officials. The number of attackers and their identities were not immediately disclosed.
These shootings occurred only months after four terrorists attacked a major concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow, killing 145 people in a shooting spree and fire. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, attributing it to ISIS-K, a branch of the group.
