A group of armed men attacked this Sunday a synagogue, two Orthodox churches and a checkpoint and killed a priest and police officers in the Russian republic of Dagestan, in the Caucasus, according to the Anti-Terrorism Investigation Committee.
At around 6:00 p.m. in the city of Derbent, south of Makhachkala, unidentified individuals murdered a priest who had their throat cut, and set fire to the church and a nearby synagogue. The Russian National Anti-Terrorist Committee confirmed the death of the religious.
The attack took place on Lenin Street, at the Orthodox Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There the assailants cut the throat of the 66-year-old priest, who was identified as a father Nikolai Kotelnikov.
The attackers then moved to a nearby synagogue, which was also set on fire.
The Jewish building has been practically destroyed, according to local media, while the Christian temple also suffered a smaller fire. The attackers fled in a white Volkswagen Polo car with license plate 921, according to Russian media, which also report at least two armed attackers killed.
For its part, in the regional capital, Makhachkala, a police officer was killed by attackers and six other people were injured in a firearms attack against a traffic police post, as confirmed by the Dagestan Interior Department in its official channel on Telegram.
The incident occurred in the city center, on Ermoshkina Street, where there is also a synagogue nearby. The authorities have activated a cage operation to try to locate those responsible.
On Russian public television Images were spread of the synagogue engulfed in fire and dense columns of smoke.
The attack occurred on the same day that Russian Orthodox celebrate Pentecost.
The president of Dagestan, Sergei Melikovdenounced an “attempt to destabilize society” and asked the population for calm, while images of the alleged attackers are already circulating on social networks in videos whose authenticity has not been verified.
On the night of October 29 to 30 of last year, a mob attempted to attack travelers on a flight from Tel Aviv in retaliation for the Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip. The attackers stormed the airport runway and more than 200 were arrested.
Up to 20 people were injured, including nine police officers. None of them were Israeli citizens, as confirmed at the time by the Israeli ambassador to Russia, Alexander Ben Zvi.
The previous attack against a church in this republic, meanwhile, took place last February, when An armed man fired indiscriminately into a crowd of people celebrating the Russian Masletinisa holidaya Carnival-like holiday that precedes the great Orthodox fast, and claimed four lives.
The attacker was killed by security forces, after which the Islamic State terrorist group assumed responsibility for the event without presenting evidence.
Interior also reported another attack carried out this Sunday in the city of Makhachkala, about 110 kilometers north of Derbent, where unknown individuals shot at a traffic checkpoint, killing one police officer and wounding six others.
“The ‘Interception’ plan has been declared. The identity of the attackers is being established,” he added.
News in development
(With information from EFE and Europa Press)
