Gunmen in Russia’s Dagestan kill multiple police and a priest in ‘terrorist attack’

Russia’s Dagestan began three days of mourning on Monday after gunmen killed multiple police officers, an Orthodox priest and several others in attacks on synagogues and churches on Sunday across two cities in the North Caucasus region.

“This is a day of tragedy for Dagestan and the whole country,” Sergei Melikov, governor of the Dagestan region, said in a video published early on Monday on the Telegram messaging app.

“There are 20 dead, another five dead among the fighters, and another 26 injured. Of those 26, some are more serious, so the 20 [killed] could still change,” a spokesperson from Dagestan’s regional health ministry said.

Gunmen opened fire on two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police post in simultaneous attacks across the cities of Makhachkala and Derbent, according to the authorities.

Melikov said the police officers “fell victim” to what he said was a “terrorist attack”.

The attacks came three months after 145 people were killed in an attack claimed by Islamic State (Isis) on a concert hall near Moscow, Russia’s worst such attack in years.