At Least 15 Killed In Russia As Gunmen Hit Multiple Sites

At least 15 people were killed after gunmen opened fire on places of worship in two cities in Russia’s southernmost Dagestan province. The attacks took place on Sunday in Makhachkala, Dagestan's largest city, and in the coastal city of Derbent. According to Russian authorities, the dead include police and National Guard officers, several civilians, and an Orthodox priest. Reports also suggest that six of the attackers are dead, and police are hunting for others. 

According to a CNN report, Russian law enforcement agencies have told state-run news agency TASS that the attackers in Dagestan were “adherents of an international terrorist organization.” Dagestan head Melikov said that three days of mourning have been declared in the region following the shocking incident. Meanwhile, Ukraine has not made any comment on the attacks so far. 

The attacks came three months after the attack by gunmen on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed 145 people. This happened days after Russian President Vladimir Putin began his fifth term of office. It was the deadliest attack on Russian soil in years. A faction of the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the massacre, but the Russian administration has alleged that Ukraine had a role in the attack. However, Ukraine rejected these accusations.