An Orthodox church and a synagogue were the target of gun attacks this Sunday in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala, in Russia. The balance was at least 10 dead. As the hours passed, they began to spread videos that show the level of violence: from the responses of local security forces to suspected terrorists, to the attackers shooting and the bodies of the victims.
In one of the films, recorded from a window a few floors above street level, three men dressed in black, with weapons of war, open fire on a target which is covered by trees in a corner.
They shoot towards the left of the image, while they advance slowly on foot on the asphalt of a street that is at that time deserted. In the middle, a white vehicle appears stopped and with its doors open.
Suddenly, another car, of the same color but larger, crosses the area at full speed, while is attacked by one of the aggressors, who shoots at him until the vehicle leaves the frame.
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A synagogue was burned during the armed attacks.
The authorities of Dagestanregion where the cities that were the scene of the attacks are located, reported that “Unknown individuals shot a synagogue and a church with automatic weapons.”
Among the fatalities, there are seven policemen, the priest of the Derbent church and a guard of the Makhachkala church, the regional capital.
Images of Derbent synagogue engulfed in fire and dense columns of smoke. The scene was also recorded by witnesses with their cell phones from different angles, which show the magnitude of the fire.
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Attackers shoot at targets with weapons of war
The fire, it is observed, leaves the premises through several windows in an area that has different rows of trees and an orange triangular structure nearby that, according to the images released, were not reached by the flames.
The leader of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, denounced that these attacks “They are an attempt to destabilize the situation” in the republic, and called on the population via Telegram to remain calm.
“What these bastards want most is for panic to spread. The Dagestanis won’t give them the pleasure!” he pointed out, as reported by the EFE agency.
Other images are even more striking, as they show corpses on the ground, with one or more bullet holes. Some are reviewed on the ground and others are recorded lying in the streets.
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Some of the attackers were killed by local security forces.
The Police reported that had killed four extremists in Makhachkala, three of whom were identified as the sons and nephew of district head Sergokaliwho was also arrested.
Attacks on churches were carried out the same day that Russian Orthodox celebrate Pentecost.
The previous attack on a church in this republic took place last February, when a gunman fired indiscriminately against a crowd of people celebrating the Russian festival of Masletnisa, a Carnival-like holiday that precedes the great Orthodox fast, and It claimed four lives.
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An armored vehicle approaches the area of the attacks.
Finally, on the street, another witness recorded a military truck moving quickly towards some unofficially identified point of interest in the area with a letter Z painted on its forehead.
It is shown by combat units of Vladimir Putin’s army from the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
At the time, the Russian Defense Ministry said it came from the preposition “Za”, the first word of the Russian phrase “Za pobedu”, which means “For victory”.
