Moscow. There was an outcry in Russia’s Dagestan on Sunday when gunmen attacked a prayer house, an Orthodox church and a police post, killing at least 7 police officers. The Ministry of Internal Affairs in Dagestan gave this information. The police is looking at this incident as separatist violence. The police has also arrested two terrorists involved in the attack.
According to information received from Reuters, both the prayer house and the church are located in the city of Derbent in Dagestan. This is a predominantly Muslim-dominated area of the North Caucasus, where people of the ancient Jewish community live. The terrorists also attacked a police post in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, which is about 125 kilometers (75 miles) from here. Locals said that after the attack, the prayer house caught fire and smoke was also seen rising from the church.
A 66-year-old Orthodox priest was killed in an attack on a church in Derbent. Earlier, a local government official claimed that the attackers had slit his throat. The attack on police officers in Derbent was captured on video and shared on social media. Heavy gunfire can be heard in the clip, which shows several police cars parked on the street. Officers are retaliating against the attackers. According to eyewitnesses, gunfire can still be heard in central Derbent. Local authorities are reportedly still engaged in a battle against the attackers near the Orthodox church.
According to Russian news agencies, the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that two attackers have been shot. The attackers were earlier seen fleeing in a car in Derbent. Dagestan chief Sergei Melikov said, ‘On Sunday night, unknown people attempted to destabilize the public situation in Derbent and Makhachkala. Dagestan police officers stood in their way. According to preliminary information, some of them have been casualties. All services are working according to instructions… the attackers are being identified.’
Sources said that violence in Dagestan had reduced in recent years. The region never faced the kind of conflict that happened in the neighboring Russian republic of Chechnya, where the Russian army and separatists fought two brutal wars at the same time. It is being said that this attack was carried out under the pretext of religion.
Tags: Russia, Terrorist attack
FIRST PUBLISHED : June 23, 2024, 23:10 IST