Coordinated Attacks on Synagogues and Churches Leave at Least Nine Dead
Coordinated Attacks on Synagogues and Churches Leave at Least Nine Dead (Photo: Alexander Novikov/WikimediaCommons/CC-BY-SA 4.0 )

At least nine people have been killed and 25 injured in coordinated attacks by gunmen in Russia's southernmost Dagestan province. The assaults, targeting synagogues, Orthodox churches, and a police traffic stop, have left the region in shock and mourning. The cities of Derbent and Makhachkala, roughly 75 miles apart, were the primary locations of these violent incidents.

Local authorities reported that among the dead are seven law enforcement officers, a priest, and a church security guard. Four attackers were also killed during the confrontations, according to the Russian news agency TASS. The attacks have prompted the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation to launch a terrorism investigation.

In Derbent, one of the oldest cities in Russia, a synagogue was set on fire, causing significant damage. Photos from the scene show large flames and thick plumes of smoke emanating from the building. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the synagogue was burned to the ground, and local guards were killed. However, it was noted that there were no worshipers present at the time of the attack, and there are no known casualties from the Jewish community.

  A similar attack occurred in Makhachkala, where another synagogue was attacked by gunfire. No further details were provided about this incident. In addition, Orthodox churches in both cities were targeted. In one particularly gruesome attack in Derbent, a 66-year-old priest named Father Nikolay was found with his throat slashed. Shamil Khadulaev, chairman of the Public Monitoring Commission of Dagestan, confirmed the priest's death and described him as being very ill at the time of the attack. The violence also extended to a police traffic post in Makhachkala. In one church in the city, 19 people locked themselves in for safety during a shootout that ended with at least one attacker being killed. The head of the "Dagestan Lights" police department, Mavludin Khidirnabiev, was among the law enforcement officers killed.

Videos circulated online showed buildings set on fire and gunmen engaging in shootouts with police. The attackers have not been identified, and no group has claimed responsibility for the coordinated assaults. However, concerns have been raised about the rise of Islamic militants in the region, particularly the ISIS-K group.

Sergei Melikov, the head of the Dagestan Republic appointed by Vladimir Putin, issued a statement condemning the attacks. He described the assailants as "unknown persons" attempting to destabilize the social situation in Derbent and Makhachkala. "Dagestan police officers stood in their way. According to preliminary information, there are victims among them," Melikov said. He urged the public to remain calm, asserting, "Panic and fear are what they were counting on. They won't get this from Dagestanis!"

The Russian Investigative Directorate has launched a terror investigation under the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, vowing to establish all the circumstances of the incident and the identities of those involved.

These attacks come on the same day that U.S. second gentleman Douglas Emhoff and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro attended the groundbreaking of a new structure at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. This site was the location of the deadliest act of antisemitism in U.S. history, where 11 Jewish worshippers were murdered on October 27, 2018. Emhoff, the first Jewish spouse of an American president or vice president, emphasized the importance of remembering the consequences of antisemitism.