20 people killed, including police officers, in coordinated attacks in Dagestan, Russia.

Several shooting incidents in Russia’s southern Dagestan region have resulted in the deaths of at least 20 individuals, including over a dozen police officers, according to local officials.

Regional governor Sergey Melikov described the situation as a day of tragedy for Dagestan and the entire country following the attacks on an Orthodox church and a synagogue in the city of Derbent on June 23.

Reports indicate that attackers set fire to a religious icon in the church and murdered a 66-year-old Orthodox priest. Both places of worship suffered significant damage from the fires.

An Israel foreign ministry statement confirmed the destruction of the synagogue but noted that no worshippers were present during the attack.

In a separate incident, gunmen targeted another Orthodox church and a police checkpoint in the regional capital of Makhachkala, resulting in the deaths of 15 officers and four civilians, according to Russian authorities.

Governor Melikov characterized the attacks as an attempt to disrupt Russia’s unity, suggesting that foreign forces may have been involved in orchestrating the violence.

The governor stated that security forces had eliminated at least five attackers and vowed to uncover any sleeper cells with foreign support.

No evidence of foreign involvement was provided by Melikov.

Dagestan’s two largest cities, Derbent and Makhachkala, are situated on the western coast of the Caspian Sea in a predominantly Muslim region.

Valentina Matviyenko, the speaker of Russia’s Federation Council, expressed confidence in the security agencies’ ability to identify those behind the attacks and bring them to justice.

The official investigative committee later confirmed the identities of the five gunmen who were killed in the attacks.

The total number of gunmen involved in the coordinated attacks remains unknown.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, known for accusing the West of inciting conflict in the Caucasus region, has not yet commented on the recent incidents.

As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

In a similar vein, Western capitals, including Washington, have dismissed Russian allegations of foreign involvement in previous incidents as propaganda.

Volatile Region

The Republic of Dagestan in Russia is located in the diverse North Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian seas.

Following the deadly attack in Moscow, Russian authorities have been conducting frequent security operations in Dagestan to apprehend terrorist suspects.

In the recent months, several suspects have been arrested in Dagestan for allegedly planning terrorist activities, as they were found in possession of weapons and explosives.

In April, one suspect in Dagestan reportedly confessed to supplying the Moscow attackers with firearms and ammunition.

For nearly a decade until 2017, Russia battled an insurgency by armed Islamist groups in Dagestan, Chechnya, and Ingushetia.

In October 2023, residents of Dagestan protested against an incoming flight from Israel at Makhachkala’s international airport due to the military actions in the Gaza Strip which resulted in clashes with authorities.

No Israeli passengers were harmed during the protests.

The White House condemned the incident as anti-Semitic, while Russian officials blamed foreign provocations for the violence.

Nikolay Patrushev, head of Russia’s Security Council, referred to the incident as evidence of Western attempts to destabilize the North Caucasus region.

Despite these claims, Western governments have dismissed them as Russian disinformation.

Russian officials remain convinced of Western involvement in the Moscow terrorist attack and continue to dispute ISIS’s claim of responsibility, especially since the attackers were Tajik nationals.

Several Russian officials, including President Putin, have alleged that the attackers attempted to flee to Ukraine and received payment from Ukrainian sources for the attack.

Officials in Kyiv deny these allegations, while the U.S. insists that ISIS is solely responsible for the incident.

However, Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia’s Federal Security Service, recently mentioned Ukraine’s military intelligence role in the attack without presenting conclusive evidence.

He claimed that Ukraine and Western intelligence are recruiting individuals to carry out attacks in Russia.

Despite these claims, evidence to support them has not been provided.

Reuters contributed to this report.