At least 19 people were victims of an attack on police officers, Orthodox churches and synagogues in Dagestan Derbent and Makhachkala on Sunday evening. Five attackers were killed, the authorities said: two in Derbent and three in Makhachkala.
The head of Dagestan Sergey Melikov said at night that “more than 15 policemen” and several civilians “were victims of today’s terrorist attack.” On Monday morning, the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) confirmed the death of 15 security forces and four civilians, including an Orthodox priest.
In the morning, the counter-terrorist operation regime was lifted in Makhachkala and Derbent. A criminal case under the articles on terrorist attack, illegal possession and theft of firearms. A three-day mourning has been declared in Dagestan. According to Interfax, “In the days of mourning, state flags will be lowered throughout the territory of the republic. Cultural institutions and television and radio companies located in Dagestan will cancel all entertainment, entertainment events and programs.”
The Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT) recommended temporarily refraining from traveling to the region. Those in the republic were urged to take precautions. According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), there can be up to 20,000 tourists in the republic.