Russia opens criminal probes into ‘acts of terror’ at synagogue, two churches

Russia’s Investigative Committee says it has opened criminal probes over “acts of terror” after gunmen attacked a synagogue and two churches, killing a priest and six police officers in Russia’s Caucasus region of Dagestan.

The attacks took place in Dagestan’s largest city of Makhachkala and in the coastal city of Derbent.

“This evening in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala armed attacks were carried out on two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police check-point,” says the National Antiterrorism Committee in a statement to RIA Novosti news agency.

“As a result of the terrorist attacks, according to preliminary information, a priest from the Russian Orthodox Church and police officers were killed.”

In all, six police officers have been killed and another 12 wounded in the attacks, the spokeswoman for Dagestan’s interior ministry, Gayana Gariyeva, told RIA Novosti.

A 66-year-old priest was killed in Derbent, the press secretary of Dagestan’s interior ministry, Gariyeva told the agency.

The leader of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, writes on Telegram: “This evening in Derbent and Makhachkala unknown (attackers) made attempts to destabilize the situation in society.

“They were confronted by Dagestani police officers.”