Armed attacks were carried out on a Orthodox church, a synagogue, and a road patrol post in Russia's Derbent and Makhachkala in Dagestan on Sunday, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said.
Attackers opened fire with automatic weapons on a synagogue and a church in Derbent, killing a priest and several police officers as a result.
The mayor of Russia's Derbent reported that law enforcement agencies have been put on high alert following the attack on the Orthodox church and synagogue.
Almost simultaneously, unknown individuals attacked a road patrol post on one of Makhachkala's streets. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, one police officer was killed and another six were injured.
Following the shooting, a manhunt was launched while the identities of the attackers are being established.
The National Anti-Terrorism Committee has announced that a legal regime of counter-terrorism operations has been implemented in Dagestan.
Statement of Dagestan's head
Dagestan's head Sergey Melikov described the incident as an attempt to destabilize society. He emphasized that all services are acting according to protocol, and an operational headquarters has been created. All necessary decisions will be made promptly in the interest of the republic's residents' safety.
