Islamic terrorists carried out what appeared to be coordinated attacks in Russia on Sunday, attacking churches and synagogues and killing multiple police officers in two cities.
The attacks happened in Russia’s southernmost Dagestan province, a majority-Muslim region that is a breeding ground for Islamic terrorism.
The Israeli government provided the most information about the attacks while the Russians have provided few details up to this point.
“The synagogue in Derbent was set on fire and burned to the ground,” Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Local guards were killed. The synagogue in Makhachkala was attacked by gunfire, there are no further details. At the same time, churches were attacked in Makhachkala and a priest was murdered in Derbent.”
“As far as is known, there were no worshipers in the synagogues at the time of the attack and there are no known casualties from among the Jewish community,” the statement continued. “The Israeli embassy in Moscow is in contact with the leaders of the Jewish community in the district.”
Dagestan Public Monitoring Commission Chairman Shamil Khadulaev said that the terrorists slit the priest’s throat in Derbent. Other priests have barricaded themselves in the church and are waiting for help, he said.
At least 15 police officers were killed, as were several civilians, by the terrorists. At least six terrorists were killed.
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a terrorism investigation in response to the attacks, which happened in the the Dagestan cities of Derbent and Makhachkala.
“All the circumstances of the incident and the persons involved in the terrorist attacks are being established, and their actions will be given a legal assessment,” the investigative directorate statement reads.
Videos that circulated online showed the Islamic terrorists shooting at people and one of the synagogues being burnt to the ground.
The attacks come after Islamic terrorists murdered over 140 people in a large attack on a concert hall in Moscow earlier this year.
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