Orthodox priest's throat slit during Islamic Terror attack in Dagestan in Russia; 21 killed

On June 23, 2024, coordinated attacks were launched in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala in the Russian republic of Dagestan in the North Caucasus.

Two synagogues, two Eastern Orthodox churches, and a traffic police post were attacked simultaneously with automatic weapons and Molotov cocktails.

In the assault, 21 people were killed; Orthodox priest Father Nikolay Kotelnikov's throat was slit by the attackers. 16 police officers were killed along with the 5 civilians. All five attackers were also killed during the incident.

The Kele-Numaz Synagogue in Derbent was nearly completely destroyed by fire in the attack. Russian authorities designated the attack as an act of terrorism.

The North Caucasus region of southern Russia has been embroiled in conflict since the 1990s, with a history of separatist wars and ongoing clashes between Russian and Islamist forces.

BREAKING: 🇷🇺 Suspected terrorist attack against an Orthodox Church and Jewish Synagogue in Russia's Dagestan region. pic.twitter.com/tWwXTJRfrU

— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) June 23, 2024

Since 2017, the area has seen a resurgence of violence attributed to the Islamic State. The Jewish community in Derbent, part of the Mountain Jews diaspora, has faced increasing threats of violence, especially since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war in October 2023.

Antisemitic riots broke out in the Muslim-majority regions of the Northern Caucasus, including Dagestan, in the same year. The government of Dagestan declared a three-day national mourning period for those killed in the attacks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered condolences to the victims.