Terror in Russia after gunmen open fireplace at two synagogues
- This story is developing, more to follow
Two synagogues and an Orthodox church across southern Russia have today been attacked by militant gunmen, who killed two police officers and slit the throat of a priest.
The attackers fired at the religious sites across the tinderbox region of Dagestan, which borders Chechnya.
A synagogue in regional capital Makhachkala was set alight, with smoke seen pouring from the building, while another was set on fire in Derbent, the southernmost city in Russia.
Derbent was also where militants attacked a priest and a guard who both worked at an Orthodox church in the city.
The priest, named locally as 66-year-old Father Nikolai, reportedly had this throat slit by the gunmen.
So far, two of the attackers involved in the deadly shootings have been killed, Russia’s interior ministry said.
Two synagogues and an Orthodox church across southern Russia have today been attacked by militant gunmen
It is not currently know how many people were involved in the shootings, nor is it known who is behind them.
More to follow.
