Death toll from Russian terror attack rises to 16, including police officers and a priest ‘who had his throat cut
The death toll in the Russian terror attack has increased to 16 after gunmen targeted religious sites in southern Russia on Sunday, June 23.
The attacks occurred at multiple locations in the volatile region of Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim area of Russia bordering Georgia and Azerbaijan.
In the regional capital Makhachkala, a synagogue was set on fire, while another group of attackers ignited a second synagogue in Derbent, the southernmost city in Russia, about 80 miles further south.
In Derbent, the gunmen also targeted an Orthodox church, reportedly slitting the throat of a priest, locally identified as 66-year-old Father Nikolai Kotelnikov, who had served in the city for over 40 years.
Authorities have initiated a counter-terrorist operation in the region, though there is uncertainty about the number of militants involved in the attacks.
The Anti-Terrorist Committee reported that five gunmen were ‘eliminated,’ while the governor stated that six ‘bandits’ were ‘liquidated.’
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks as authorities launched a criminal investigation on charges of terrorism.
However, Russian state news agency Tass reported that Magomed Omarov, the head of Dagestan’s Sergokalinsky district, was arrested after officers discovered his son had participated in the attacks.
The synagogue in Derbent, which was attacked and set on fire, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Boruch Gorin, chairman of the public council of Russia’s Federation of Jewish Communities, wrote late last night that ‘it has not been possible to extinguish the fire’ at the synagogue. He added that ‘the synagogue in Makhachkala has also been set on fire and burnt down.’
Gorin mentioned that in Derbent, firefighters were instructed to leave the burning synagogue due to the risk that ‘terrorists remained inside.’
In a video statement this morning, Dagestan regional governor Sergei Melikov said the situation in the region was now under control by law enforcement and local authorities.
He pledged that the investigation would continue until ‘all the sleeper cells’ of the militants are uncovered.
Without providing evidence, he suggested that the attacks might have been planned from abroad, referencing what the Kremlin calls ‘the special military operation’ in Ukraine, attempting to link the attacks.
This update followed a message he shared last night, stating: ‘Tonight in Derbent and Makhachkala, unknown individuals attempted to destabilize the public situation. Dagestan police officers stood in their way. According to preliminary information, there are casualties among them.’
The attacks on religious sites in Dagestan come just months after a deadly terrorist attack in Moscow claimed nearly 145 lives.