Radical attack in Russia –

MOSCOW (AP) — More than 15 police officers and several civilians, including an Orthodox priest, were killed by gunmen in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan on Monday, Governor Sergei Melikov said in a video statement.

Gunmen opened fire on two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police post in two cities, authorities said.

Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said the attacks in the predominantly Muslim region were terrorist acts.

Today, tomorrow and Wednesday have been declared days of mourning in the region.

The Dagestan Interior Ministry said gunmen fired at a synagogue and a church in the Caspian Sea city of Derbent. Both churches were set on fire, according to state media. Almost simultaneously, reports emerged of an attack on a church and a traffic police post in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan.

Authorities announced an anti-terrorist operation in the region. The Anti-Terrorist Committee said five gunmen were “eliminated.” The governor, meanwhile, said six “bandits” were “liquidated.” It was not immediately possible to reconcile the conflicting figures, and it is unclear how many individuals participated in the attacks.

No one has claimed responsibility for what happened. The authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the incident, alleging a terrorist act.

A Dagestani official has been detained over his sons’ involvement in the attacks, police sources were quoted as saying by Russia’s state news agency Tass.

In the video statement, Melikov said the situation in the region was under control of the police and local authorities, and pledged that the investigation would continue until “all sleeper cells” of the militants were found.

He claimed, without providing evidence, that the attacks could have been prepared from abroad, and referred to what the Kremlin calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine in an apparent attempt to link the attacks to it.

In March, gunmen opened fire on a crowd at a concert hall in suburban Moscow, killing 145 people. An affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, but Russian officials also sought to link Ukraine without providing evidence. kyiv has vehemently denied any role.