Russian authorities say armed militants attacked two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a traffic police post in two cities in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan, killing a priest and at least six police officers.
MOSCOW — Armed militants attacked two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a traffic police post in two cities in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan, killing a priest and at least six police officers, Russian authorities said Sunday.
Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee described the attacks in the predominantly Muslim region with a history of armed militancy as terrorist acts.
Dagestan’s Interior Ministry said a group of gunmen shot at a synagogue and a church in the Caspian Sea city of Derbent. Both the church and the synagogue caught fire, according to state media. Around the same time, reports emerged of an attack on a church and a traffic police post in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan.
The authorities announced an anti-terrorist operation in the region. The Anti-Terrorism Committee said a priest and police officers were killed in the attacks. He later reported that five gunmen were “eliminated.” However, it was unclear how many militants were involved in the attacks.
Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti cited the region’s Interior Ministry as saying that six police officers were killed and 13 more were wounded. Other reports said a church guard was also killed and three civilians were injured.
The Muftiate of Dagestan, a Muslim administrative body, put the total death toll at nine people, including seven police officers, and said 25 more people were injured. The conflicting figures could not be immediately reconciled.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks. The authorities have launched a criminal investigation under the accusation of a terrorist act.
Russia’s state news agency Tass cited police sources as saying that a Dagestani official was detained over his sons’ involvement in the attacks.
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