Police officers, civilians and priest killed in attacks in Russia
Russia's southern region of Dagestan held the first of three days of mourning yesterday following a rampage by suspected Islamic militants who killed 19 people, most of them police, and attacked houses of worship in apparently co-ordinated assaults in two cities.
Sunday's violence in Dagestan's regional capital of Makhachkala and nearby Derbent was the latest that officials blamed on Islamic extremists in the predominantly Muslim region in the North Caucasus, as well as the deadliest in Russia since March, when gunmen opened fire at a concert in suburban Moscow, killing 145 people.
The affiliate of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan that claimed responsibility for March's raid quickly praised the attack in Dagestan, saying it was conducted by "brothers in the Caucasus who showed that they are still strong".
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War argued that the Islamic State group's North Caucasus branch, Vilayat Kavkaz, was likely to have been behind the attack, describing it as "complex and co-ordinated". Dagestan governor Sergei Melikov blamed members of Islamic "sleeper cells" directed from abroad, but did not give any other details.
He said in a video statement that the assailants aimed at "sowing panic and fear", and attempted to link the attack to Moscow's military action in Ukraine- but also provided no evidence.
Vladimir Putin had sought to blame the March attack on Ukraine, again without evidence and despite the claim of responsibility by theislamic state affiliate. kyivh as vehemently denied any involvement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Mr Putin has received reports on Sunday's attacks and efforts to help the victims.
The Investigative Committee, the country's top state criminal investigation agency, said all five attackers were killed. Of the 19 people killed, 15 were police.
Among the dead was the Rev Nikolai Kotelnikov, a 66-yearold Russian Orthodox priest at a church in Derbent. The attackers slit his throat before setting fire to the church.
The Kele-numaz synagogue in Derbent was also set ablaze, with severe internal damage, pictured inset.