An Orthodox priest is among the many victims of apparently coordinated attacks on places of worship in Russia on Sunday.
The attacks happened across the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala within the predominantly Muslim republic of Dagestan within the North Caucasus.
A synagogue, churches and police posts were targeted, leaving 15 cops and 4 civilians dead.
The attackers, who haven’t been identified, used automatic weapons. Russian authorities said the attackers belong to “a global terrorist organization.”
Sergei Melikov, the top of the Dagestan region, named the slain priest as Nikolai Kotelnikov and said he had worked on the church in Derbent for over 40 years.
Three days of mourning have been declared in Dagestan, which neighbours Chechnya.
Three months ago, over 140 people were killed in a terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow. ISIS affiliate ISIS-K claimed responsibility for that attack.
