Russian authorities have launched a terrorism investigation following a series of deadly attacks on synagogues and Orthodox churches in the North Caucasus region of Dagestan. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation announced the probe in response to “armed attacks in Derbent and Makhachkala, as a result of which police officers and civilians were killed and injured.”
The violence unfolded on Sunday when gunmen opened fire on two synagogues, two Orthodox churches, and a police post in the region. Shamil Khadulaev, chairman of the Public Monitoring Commission of Dagestan, reported that a 66-year-old priest was found with his throat slashed at an Orthodox church. The Russian Interior Ministry confirmed that at least two police officers were killed, with at least six people wounded.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement confirming a “combined attack in two cities in Dagestan province, Makhachkala and Derbent.” The statement detailed that the synagogue in Derbent was set on fire and burned to the ground, with local guards killed. The synagogue in Makhachkala was attacked by gunfire, though no worshippers were present at the time of the attacks.
Videos circulating online showed buildings set ablaze and gunmen engaging in shootouts with police. Reports indicated that one officer was killed when shots were fired at a synagogue in Derbent, home to an ancient Jewish community in the North Caucasus. Gunfire was also exchanged at an Orthodox church in the town, which is a UNESCO heritage site.
Sergei Melikov, Vladimir Putin’s appointed head of Dagestan, stated that “unknown persons” in Derbent and Makhachkala attempted to “destabilize the social situation.” The attacks have not been immediately attributed to a specific group but come amid growing concerns about the rise of Islamic militants, particularly the ISIS-K group, in the region.
This incident follows a warning earlier this month from FBI Director Christopher Wray about a heightened terror threat, citing concerns of “the potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, not unlike the ISIS-K attack we saw at the Russian concert hall back in March.” That attack on Moscow’s Crocus City concert hall left more than 140 people dead and over 180 wounded.
The attacks in Dagestan coincided with a significant event in the United States, where U.S. second gentleman Douglas Emhoff and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro participated in the groundbreaking of a new structure at the site of Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue. 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.
As investigations continue, these attacks serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of religious violence and the importance of vigilance against antisemitism and other forms of religious hatred.
