Gunmen opened fire in two cities in Russia’s north Caucasus region of Dagestan, targeting a synagogue, two Orthodox churches and a police post and killing at least six police officers and a priest, officials said.
In the city of Derbent, gunmen attacked a synagogue, home to a Jewish community in the predominantly Muslim region. Russia’s state media Tass said the attackers also shot at two nearby Orthodox churches, killing a police officer and a priest.
Footage published on social media from Derbent showed a group of gunmen engaged in heavy fire with police.
Officials said the Derbent synagogue was set on fire and a clip from the scene appeared to show flames coming out of the building, which is listed as a Unesco heritage site.
In a separate shooting occurring simultaneously, a group opened fire on police in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, located about 75 miles north along the Caspian Sea coast. According to local authorities, at least one police officer was killed and six others injured.
A clip posted by Russian media from Makhachkala showed scenes of gunfire and a burned police vehicle.
The Russian interior ministry said in a statement that six police officers had been killed in the two shootings and 12 injured.
Officials in Dagestan appeared to confirm the shootings were linked.