Armed militants in Dagestan kill priests and police in attacks on churches, synagogues and police stations

MOSCOW (AP) – Armed militants attacked two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a traffic police station in two cities in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan, killing a priest and at least six police officers, Russian authorities reported Sunday.

Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee described the attacks in the predominantly Muslim region with a history of armed insurgency as terrorist acts.

The Dagestan Interior Ministry said a group of armed men had opened fire on a synagogue and a church in the Caspian Sea city of Derbent. Both the church and the synagogue caught fire, according to state media. Almost simultaneously, reports appeared of an attack on a church and a traffic police post in the Dagestani capital of Makhachkala.

Authorities announced an anti-terror operation in the region. The anti-terror committee said a priest and police officers were killed in the attacks. It later said five armed men had been “eliminated.” However, it was unclear how many militants were involved in the attacks.

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti quoted the region’s Interior Ministry as saying that six police officers were killed and 13 others were injured. Other reports said a church guard was also killed and three civilians were injured.

The Muftiate of Dagestan, a Muslim administrative body, put the total number of dead at nine people, including seven police officers, and said 25 others were injured. The conflicting figures could not immediately be reconciled.

There were no immediate announcements about the attacks. The authorities have launched an investigation into the alleged terrorist attack.

Russian state news agency Tass cited law enforcement sources as saying that a Dagestani official had been arrested over his sons’ involvement in the attacks.