Armed people attacked a synagogue in Dagestan. Policemen were killed

On the evening of June 23, unknown persons attacked a synagogue and a church in the cities of Makhachkala and Derbent of Dagestan. The Baza Telegram channel was the first to report on this.

It is noted that a shot was heard and smoke began to rise in the area of the Provaslav church in Derbent. Meanwhile, the city police are on their feet.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan also stated that unknown persons opened fire on the Orthodox Church in Derbent and the local synagogue with automatic weapons.

"In Derbent, unknown persons opened fire on a synagogue and a church with automatic weapons. According to preliminary information, one policeman was killed and one was injured. It was determined that the suspect's getaway car was a white Volkswagen Polo," said the initial report.

Soon after, images of shot-up police cars and a burning church were circulating on Russian Telegram channels.

Almost simultaneously with the attack on Derbent, it became known that a fire broke out in the church on Ermoshkin street in Makhachkala. Video from the scene showed smoke billowing from the church's third-floor windows.

After that, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan confirmed that unknown persons attacked the capital as well as Derbent.

He added that gunmen in black clothing also fired at the police post in Makhachkala. In the circulating videos, they can be seen firing machine guns at police cars.

According to the latest information, six policemen were killed and 12 others were injured in the shootout with the attackers. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan reported that at least two fighters were killed.

Videos showing the bodies of dead fighters are being posted on social networks. There are also images of arrests of people associated with them on the beach in Makhachkala.

It was announced that an anti-terror operation regime has been introduced in Dagestan.

Unexpectedly, the Mash Telegram channel wrote that 40 people were taken hostage in the Orthodox church in Makhachkala. The authorities denied it.

The head of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, called on citizens to remain calm.

"Militants tried to destabilize the situation in the country this evening in Derbent and Makhachkala. The police of Dagestan are taking security measures against them. According to preliminary information, there are also injured among the employees. The identity of the attackers is being determined," he wrote on his page.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has already opened a criminal case under "terrorist act" (Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

"All circumstances of the incident and persons involved in terrorist attacks will be found, and their actions will be assessed legally," the committee said.