A series of coordinated attacks on religious institutions unfolded Sunday evening across the North Caucasus region, specifically in Russia's Dagestan Republic and the self-declared state of Abkhazia. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that no Jewish worshippers were present in the attacked synagogue, and no Israeli or Jewish casualties were reported.
Video: The attack in Dagestan
The violence began when armed individuals in black shirts opened fire on a synagogue and a church in Derbent, Dagestan. The attackers subsequently set fire to the synagogue, destroying it completely. The assault resulted in the deaths of six police officers and left 12 people injured. In Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, two churches came under attack. Reports indicate that a priest's throat was slit in one church, while a security guard was fatally shot at another.
Ongoing gunfire was reported in both Derbent and Makhachkala as authorities responded to the attacks.
In footage circulating from the scene, one of the attackers, identified as Osman Omarov, was heard saying, "Look, the synagogue of these infidels is burning. Inshallah, this is how we will humiliate them." Omarov was later killed by security forces.
Russian news channel SHOT reported that several attackers were barricaded in a residential building in Makhachkala. The Russian news site RBK stated that in Derbent, the restaurant where attackers had taken shelter was surrounded by authorities.
Video: The attack on the synagogue in Dagestan / Credit: Social media
Concurrently, two attacks were reported in Abkhazia, a breakaway region that separated from Georgia in 2008. At least one person was killed in a shooting incident at the Psou crossing between Russia and Abkhazia. Another shooting was reported in the Black Sea coastal city of Novi Athos, a popular tourist destination known for its important monastery.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry added that the Israeli Embassy in Moscow is in contact with Jewish community leaders in the region.
Following the pattern seen after the recent ISIS attack in Moscow, some Russian officials have begun to deflect attention from the rising Islamist threat and blame the West for the attacks. A member of the Russian Parliament has already "assessed" that "Ukraine and NATO are behind the attack."
Dagestan, a republic within the Russian Federation, is located in southern Russia, bordering the western part of Asia and close to Eastern Europe. It is part of Russia's North Caucasus Federal District. The region made headlines last October when a mob attempted to lynch Jewish and Israeli passengers at the Dagestan airport.
On March 22, ISIS attackers struck the Crocus City Hall entertainment complex in Moscow, resulting in 145 deaths and 550 injuries. The Islamic State's Khorasan branch claimed responsibility for the attack. Last week, several detainees associated with ISIS rebelled in a prison in Rostov, taking at least two guards hostage. Special forces who stormed the prison eliminated the Islamist insurgents.
Video: The attack in Dagestan
