Russia: Attacks on Churches, Synagogue, and Police Post Leave 15 Dead
Gunmen, reportedly members of a foreign terrorist group according to Russian news agencies, attacked churches, a synagogue, and a police post in Dagestan’s cities of Derbent and Makhachkala. The assaults on Pentecost Sunday left at least 15 police and National Guard officers, civilians, and an Orthodox priest dead.
Videos showed smoke and flames over Derbent, a predominantly Muslim area with an ancient Jewish community, where a synagogue was set ablaze. Similar attacks targeted places of worship and a police checkpoint in Makhachkala.
Russia’s Investigative Committee launched terror investigations in Dagestan, a region bordering Chechnya. Initial reports confirmed casualties including a priest and officers. The attackers, linked to an international terrorist organization per TASS, remain unidentified.
These events follow a mass shooting near Moscow three months ago.
