In Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim part of Russia, the number of fatalities from a string of egregious shootings at churches and synagogues increased to 19 on Monday with gunmen going on the rampage in two of the major cities in the republic.
Sunday night in the ancient city of Derbent, gunmen armed with automatic guns broke into an Orthodox church and a synagogue, killing 66-year-old Orthodox priest Nikolai Kotelnikov and setting an icon at the church on fire.
Approximately 125 kilometers north, in the Caspian city of Makhachkala, gunmen ambushed a church and opened fire on a traffic police post.
Around Makhachkala’s Assumption Cathedral, gunfights broke out, and heavy automatic gunfire continued late into the night. Residents were seen fleeing the city to find shelter as smoke plumes ascended above Makhachkala in the footage.
No one took immediate credit for anything. According to Russia’s inquiry committee, four civilians and fifteen police officers perished. Five attackers were slain, several of them were captured on camera by the local media being shot dead on a sidewalk.
The leader of the Dagestan region, Sergei Melikov, declared, “This is a day of tragedy for Dagestan and the whole country.”
He indicated that the attack had been planned by foreign troops, but he did not elaborate.
Also Read:
Netanyahu will Only Consent to a “Partial” Ceasefire; The Gaza War will not Stop
