It was around 6 p.m. local time when an unknown number of gunmen opened fire on two Orthodox churches and a synagogue in Dagestan, Russian media reported. The synagogue is located in the city of Derbent and caught fire in connection with the attack.
At least six policemen are said to have been killed in the attacks and several people have been injured, according to the Russian Interior Ministry. A 66-year-old priest is also said to have been killed in Derbent.
Around the same time, a police outpost is reported to have been shelled in the sub-republic’s capital, Makhachkala. A church guard has also been killed there, writes the Russian staid news agency RIA.
A spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of the Interior tells RIA that four suspected perpetrators have been “eliminated” by the police. Initially, it was stated that only two perpetrators were shot to death.
Investigating terror
It is uncertain whether and how the events are related to each other. Russian authorities write on Telegram that they are investigating the incident as a terrorist attack.
Both Derbent and Makhachkala are located on the coast towards the Caspian Sea, about 12 miles apart.