Sergei Melikov, the head of the Dagestan region, visits Derbent synagogue following an attack by gunmen and a fire, in Derbent in the region of Dagestan, Russia June 24, 2024, in this still image taken from video. Head of the Dagestan region Sergei Melikov via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS
On Monday, the death toll from a series of coordinated attacks on churches and synagogues in Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region of Russia, rose to 20. Gunmen conducted these attacks in two major cities of the republic.
On Sunday evening, assailants armed with automatic weapons stormed an Orthodox church and a synagogue in Derbent, an ancient city. The attackers set fire to an icon at the church and killed a 66-year-old Orthodox priest, Nikolai Kotelnikov. Simultaneously, in Makhachkala, located approximately 125 km (75 miles) north on the Caspian Sea shore, gunmen targeted a traffic police post and a church.
The Assumption Cathedral in Makhachkala became the scene of intense gun battles, with heavy automatic gunfire continuing late into the night. Footage showed residents seeking cover as smoke rose above the city.
There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks. Russia’s Investigative Committee reported that 15 policemen and four civilians were killed, while Dagestan’s healthcare ministry confirmed 46 additional injuries. At least five attackers were killed, with some local media showing their bodies on the pavement.
“This is a day of tragedy for Dagestan and the entire country,” said Sergei Melikov, head of the Dagestan region, during his visit to the attacked sites in Derbent on Monday. He suggested foreign involvement in the attack, although he provided no specifics. “This is an attempt to cleave apart our unity,” he added.
Dagestan has announced three days of mourning, with photos of the deceased policemen displayed along the street, adorned with red carnations. President Vladimir Putin, who has often accused the West of inciting separatism in the Caucasus, extended his condolences to the victims’ families.
Dagestan, a mainly Muslim republic in Russia’s North Caucasus, comprises a diverse mosaic of ethnic groups, languages, and regions nestled between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.
These attacks on Christian and Jewish places of worship have heightened fears of a renewed militant Islamist threat in Russia, occurring just three months after a deadly attack in Moscow. That incident, claimed by the Islamic State, resulted in 145 fatalities at the Crocus concert hall.
In October, amidst the conflict in Gaza, rioters waving Palestinian flags stormed Makhachkala airport, seeking Jewish passengers from a Tel Aviv flight.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Dagestan attacks and conveyed his condolences through a spokesperson.
Derbent, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, is home to an ancient Jewish community and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Russian investigators have labeled the incident a “terrorist” attack but have not provided details about the perpetrators.
Russian state media reported that two sons of Magomed Omarov, the head of Dagestan’s Sergokala district, were among the attackers and were killed. Their father has been detained.
June 24 to 26 have been declared days of mourning in Dagestan, with flags lowered to half-mast and all entertainment events canceled.
The Russian Empire expanded into the Caucasus in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. However, the post-Soviet insurgency led to two wars. In August 1999, Chechen fighter Shamil Basayev led fighters into Dagestan to support Dagestani Wahhabist fundamentalists, prompting a significant bombing campaign by the Russian military ahead of the Second Chechen War.
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