More than a dozen killed in synagogue, church attacks in Russia’s Dagestan

Civilians and a priest also among the dead as gunmen attack religious buildings in Derbent, and a Makhachkala police post.

More than 15 policemen and several civilians, including an Orthodox priest, have been killed after gunmen in the Russian republic of Dagestan opened fire on two Orthodox churches, a synagogue, and a police post, authorities have said.

At least 12 people were injured in the attacks, which took place in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala on Sunday evening.

Both the synagogue and the church are located in Derbent, which is home to ancient Jewish community in the mainly-Muslim North Caucasus region, one of the poorest parts of Russia. The police post attack took place in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan and its largest city, approximately 125km (78 miles) away.

The synagogue in Derbent was set on fire as a result of the attack, local officials told the Reuters news agency, while eyewitnesses also reported that smoke was rising from the church.

Head of the Republic of Dagestan Sergei Melikov said six of the attackers had been “liquidated.”

The Russian news agency TASS reported that the gunmen were members of “an international terrorist organisation”, according to law enforcement agencies.

The attackers in Derbent had earlier been seen fleeing in a car. They have not yet been idenitified.

“Tonight in Derbent and Makhachkala, unknown people made attempts to destablise the public situation,” Melikov said.

“Dagestan police officers stood in their way. According to preliminary information, there are casualties among them. All services are acting in accordance with the instruction … The identities of the attackers are being established.”

The Israeli foreign ministry said the synagogue in Derbent had been burned to the ground and shots had been fired at a second synagogue in Makhachkala.

The statement said it was believed there were no worshippers in the synagogue at the time.

The attacks come three months after some 133 people were killed when gunmen opened fire at a rock concert in the Crocus City Hall on the outskirts of Moscow. ISIL (ISIS) said it was behind that attack, although Moscow claimed without evidence that Ukraine had a role.

Daniel Hawkins, reporting for Al Jazeera from Moscow, said that Dagestan had previously seen separatist violence in the 1990s and early 2000s.

“Violence there, as the years have gone on, has died down,” Hawkins said, explaining that the region never saw the kind of conflict that engulfed the neighbouring Russian republic of Chechnya, which saw Russian forces and separatists fight two brutal wars during the same period.

“This sort of attack that’s coordinated and has targeted civilian religious infrastructure is very unusual and will no doubt be shocking to Russians across the country,” Hawkins said.

In October last year, hundreds of people stormed the airport in Makhachkala over a flight from Israel landing there. At least 60 people were arrested after they broke through security to the runway and inundate the area around the aircraft shouting anti-Jewish slogans.