Priest and police officer killed in attacks on synagogue and church in Russia’s Dagestan | CNN

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A priest and a policeman have been killed after gunmen armed with automatic weapons attacked a synagogue and a church on Sunday evening in the city of Derbent, in Russia’s southernmost Dagestan province.

In what appears to be a coordinated attack in the nearby city of Makhachkala, Dagestan, at least one police officer has been injured after a traffic post was fired on.

A priest was killed in the attack on the church, according to the Dagestan Public Monitoring Commission Chairman, Shamil Khadulaev.

“According to the information I received, Father Nikolay was killed in the Church in Derbent, they slit his throat. He was 66-years-old and very ill,” Khadulaev said.

He also said a security guard at the church armed with only a pistol was shot. Additional priests have locked themselves in the church and are waiting for help, Khadulaev said.

Meanwhile, the synagogue is now on fire with large flames and plumes of smoke billowing heavily out of a series of windows on at least one floor of the structure.

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At least one police officer was killed and another injured in the attacks on the church and synagogue, according to preliminary reports from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan duty officer, though officials say they are working to clarify details on casualties.

The status of the attackers is as yet unclear.

In what appears to be a coordinated attack that took place around the same time as the attacks on the church and synagogue, a police traffic post in Makhachkala, Dagestan, also came under fire.

At least one police officer was injured in the attack in Makhachkala, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The head of the Dagestan Republic, Sergey Melikov, has since issued a message on Telegram saying that “unknown persons made attempts to destabilize the social situation. Dagestan police officers stood in their way. According to preliminary information, there are victims among them.”

Melikov said the identities of the attackers are being established, an operational headquarters has been set up and a plan for a counteroperation “Interception” is underway.

He urged the public to remain calm, saying “Panic and fear are what they were counting on in … They won’t get this from Dagestanis!”

The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Republic of Dagestan said it had launched a terror investigation into the attacks under the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

“All the circumstances of the incident and the persons involved in the terrorist attacks are being established, and their actions will be given a legal assessment,” the investigative directorate statement reads.

This is a developing story. More to come.