More than 15 killed in Dagestan, Russia, as gunmen hit multiple sites
The dead included a 66-year-old Orthodox priest and over 15 police officers in what appeared to be a coordinated attack at a synagogue, church and police post.
Assailants opened fire at an Orthodox church, a synagogue and a traffic police post across two cities in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Dagestan on Sunday evening, killing more than 15 police officers and several civilians, local officials said.
Russia opened a “counterterrorist operation” as the shooting continued into the night in Derbent and the regional capital of Makhachkala, including at the Holy Dormition Cathedral, where people were reportedly trapped inside. Two suspects were killed at a traffic police post in Makhachkala, the Dagestan Interior Ministry said. Another two suspects were detained at a beach there.
State news outlets, citing law enforcement agencies, reported that the attackers were “adherents of an international terrorist organization” and used foreign weapons.
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