Violence Strikes Dagestan: Coordinated Attacks Leave 19 Dead, Sparks Mourning

Dagestan, a region in southern Russia, begins mourning for victims of coordinated militant attacks that killed 19 people, including 15 police officers. The assailants targeted religious sites in Makhachkala and Derbent. Gov. Sergei Melikov blames Islamic sleeper cells, linking the violence to foreign influence, but provided no evidence.

Dagestan, a southern region in Russia, has initiated three days of mourning after coordinated militant attacks resulted in 19 fatalities, including 15 police officers.

The assaults, attributed to Islamic extremists, targeted houses of worship in the cities of Makhachkala and Derbent.

Governor Sergei Melikov pointed to foreign-directed Islamic “sleeper cells,” but didn’t provide concrete evidence for the claim.