SIX police officers have been killed and at least 12 people have been injured in a series of attacks at a synagogue and a church in Russia.
A priest is also said to be among the deceased following the coordinated attacks in the North Caucasus region of Dagestan on Sunday, the region’s interior ministry said.
East2WestAn Orthodox church up in flames following the attack in Russia[/caption]
East2WestA synagogue has also been reduced to rubble[/caption]
East2WestImages show two unknown armed men caught on camera[/caption]
East2WestFootage posted online shows armed men running through the streets of Derbent, a city in Dagestan region[/caption]
Two of the gunmen have reportedly been shot dead.
The Interior Ministry has been quoted as saying a synagogue and an Orthodox church, both targets of the attacks, had been set ablaze in Derbent.
The city is home to an ancient Jewish community in the South Caucasus and a UNESCO world heritage site.
“Unidentified people fired at a synagogue and a church with automatic weapons,” the interior ministry said.
“One police officer was killed and one injured.”
Russian news agency RIA reported that gunmen opened fire on the synagogue in Derbent around 6pm local time.
The synagogue was then seen on fire shortly after the attack.
The gunmen were then seen fleeing in a car.
Around the same time, another police officer was killed in an exchange of shots at a police post in Makhachkala, about 75 miles to the north along the Caspian Sea coast.
The main city in Dagestan is considered a mainly Muslim region in southern Russia.
Fighting was later reported in the streets of Makhachkala, with footage circulating online of at least three armed men opening fire in the middle of a street.
Loud gunshots can be heard in the background as people flee to safety.
Other clips show people running for their lives as police chase terrorists on a local beach in Makhachkala.
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East2WestPolice and residents gather following the violent attacks[/caption]
East2WestTerrified residents of Makhachkala, Dagestan run for their lives as police chase terrorists on the local beach[/caption]
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