Terrorist rampage rocks Dagestan: Multiple attacks leave dozens injured and dead
A scene of a clash on a street in Makhachkala, southern Russia, June 23, 2024. (Reuters Photo)
Unknown terrorists carried out coordinated attacks on multiple locations in the Russian Republic of Dagestan on Sunday, resulting in casualties and widespread chaos. According to officials, the attacks targeted various sites including a synagogue, two churches, a roadside gas station, and a police security checkpoint. The violence claimed the lives of at least 6 police officers, a priest, and injured 12 others.
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that the assaults occurred in Makhachkala and Derbent around 1500 GMT. In Makhachkala, terrorists attacked a police checkpoint, while in Derbent, they targeted two churches and a synagogue. Among the casualties were six police officers and a priest, with several others wounded. The situation remains tense as security forces continue to engage with the attackers.
Video footage circulating on social media captured scenes of a fire breaking out at the synagogue in Derbent during the attack. Initial reports indicated the attackers used automatic weapons, causing significant damage and destruction at the targeted locations.
Shamil Khadulaev, deputy chairman of Dagestan’s public monitoring commission, confirmed the deaths of a clergyman and a security officer from the Orthodox Church in Derbent and Makhachkala during the assaults. Gayan Garieva, head of the press service of the Dagestan Ministry of Internal Affairs, provided details of the attacks, noting that the synagogue and a police vehicle were set ablaze during the violence.
Reports from Sputnik indicated that the suspects fled the scene in a white Volkswagen Polo with license plate 921. Simultaneously, another attack targeted a roadside gas station in Makhachkala, adding to the chaos and violence in the region.
In response to the attacks, authorities swiftly imposed security cordons in Makhachkala and Derbent, intensifying efforts to apprehend the perpetrators. The Investigative Committee of Russia in the Republic of Dagestan has initiated criminal cases under terrorism statutes and launched investigations to identify those responsible for the heinous acts.
The situation in Dagestan remains fluid and tense as security forces and investigators work to contain the aftermath of the coordinated terrorist attacks and restore order in the affected areas.
