Dagestan Reels as Gunmen Target Sacred Sites and Security Forces

Monday 24 June 2024 - 09:25

In a day marred by tragedy, the Russian region of Dagestan found itself under siege as gunmen unleashed a series of brazen attacks, targeting a synagogue, Orthodox churches, and police personnel. The coordinated assaults, which unfolded across two cities, left at least 15 officers and a priest dead, casting a pall of grief over the predominantly Muslim region and the entire nation.

"This is a day of tragedy for Dagestan and the whole country," lamented Sergei Melikov, the governor of the Dagestan region, in a video statement published early Monday on the Telegram messaging app.

In the city of Derbent, gunmen stormed a synagogue, home to a Jewish community in the predominantly Muslim region. Russia's state media, Tass, reported that the attackers also opened fire on two nearby Orthodox churches, claiming the lives of a police officer and a priest.

Footage circulating on social media from Derbent depicted a group of gunmen engaged in a fierce exchange of gunfire with police. Officials confirmed that the Derbent synagogue, a UNESCO heritage site, was set ablaze, with a clip from the scene appearing to show flames engulfing the building.

Simultaneously, in a separate shooting incident in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan situated about 75 miles north along the Caspian Sea coast, a group of assailants opened fire on police. According to local authorities, at least one police officer was killed, and six others sustained injuries.

No immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in the volatile region has been made. "We understand who is behind the organization of the terrorist attacks and what goal they pursued," Melikov stated, without divulging further details.

Russia's state media cited law enforcement sources as stating that among the attackers were two sons of the head of central Dagestan's Sergokala district, who were reportedly detained by investigators.

Melikov confirmed that in addition to the slain police officers, several civilians, including an Orthodox priest who had served in Derbent for over 40 years, were among the casualties.

As the incidents unfolded, six of the gunmen were shot and killed, according to Melikov. However, a Russian state news agency, citing the National Anti-Terrorist Committee, reported five gunmen were neutralized.

Independent verification of the reports regarding the number of casualties and gunmen killed was not possible.

Russia's investigative committee has classified the shooting as a terrorist attack and has launched an investigation.

Melikov declared June 24-26 as days of mourning in Dagestan, with flags lowered to half-staff and all entertainment events canceled.

The restive region had been hit by an Islamist insurgency spilling over from neighboring Chechnya in the 2000s, prompting Russian security forces to move aggressively to combat extremists in the area.

While attacks had become rarer in recent years, with Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claiming in 2017 that it had defeated the insurgency in the region, the nation has experienced a series of Islamist terrorist attacks recently, raising questions about whether its extensive security agencies have been distracted by the invasion of Ukraine and the internal crackdown on anti-war dissent.

In March, the Afghan branch of Islamic State, known as Islamic State Khorasan Province, claimed responsibility for the mass shooting at a Moscow concert hall, the deadliest terror attack in years, which left 139 people dead.

Last week, Russian special forces freed two guards and killed six men linked to IS who had taken them hostage at a detention center in the southern city of Rostov.

Dagestan has also experienced a series of antisemitic incidents, most notably last year when a mob stormed the airport in Makhachkala, searching for Jewish passengers arriving from Israel.

As the people of Dagestan mourn the victims of this brutal attack, questions linger about the motives behind the coordinated assaults and the security measures needed to prevent such tragedies from recurring in this volatile region.