Deadly Coordinated Attacks on Places of Worship and Police Station in Dagestan: A Resurgence of Extremist Activity in Russia?

Derbent, Makhachkala, Dagestan Russian Federation
Among the victims were an Orthodox priest and police officers.
Dagestan has faced waves of violence in the past but attacks have become less common recently.
Exact number of attackers not clear, but Russian authorities have identified suspects including Gadzhimurad Kagirov.
Gunmen opened fire at synagogues, churches and a police post in Makhachkala and Derbent.
In Dagestan, Russia, on June 24, 2024, at least 20 people were killed in coordinated attacks on places of worship and a police station.
Kremlin's response to attacks was conspiratorial, accusing Ukraine and NATO intelligence agencies of promoting discord.
Recent extremist violence in Russia includes March 2024 Moscow concert hall attack which killed 145 people and was claimed by Islamic State.
Deadly Coordinated Attacks on Places of Worship and Police Station in Dagestan: A Resurgence of Extremist Activity in Russia?

In the southern Russian region of Dagestan, a series of coordinated attacks on places of worship and a police station left at least 20 people dead on Sunday, June 24, 2024. The violence in this predominantly Muslim region has raised concerns about the resurgence of extremist activity and the ability of Russian security forces to maintain order amid ongoing conflicts in other parts of the country.

The attacks occurred in Makhachkala and Derbent, two major cities in Dagestan. Gunmen opened fire at synagogues, churches, and a police post, leaving multiple people dead and several civilians injured. Among the victims were an Orthodox priest and police officers.

The exact number of attackers involved is not yet clear. However, Russian authorities have identified some suspects in connection with the attacks. One of them is Gadzhimurad Kagirov, a mixed martial arts fighter and cousin of Magomed Omarov, the head of Sergokalinsky district.

The attacks on places of worship in Dagestan follow recent extremist violence in Russia. In March 2024, four armed men killed 145 people at a concert hall near Moscow. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack, which was the deadliest terrorist attack in Russia since the Beslan school siege in 2004.

Dagestan has faced waves of violence in the past but attacks have become more rare in recent years. However, this latest spate of violence has revived fears of a return to mass terrorism and instability.

The Kremlin's response to these attacks was fiercely conspiratorial, with some officials accusing Ukraine and NATO's intelligence agencies of promoting inter-ethnic and religious discord within Russia. However, there is no concrete evidence to support these claims.

The attacks in Dagestan are a reminder of the ongoing challenges facing Russian security forces as they try to maintain order in a diverse and complex society. The region's history of violence and instability, combined with the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and other parts of the former Soviet Union, make it a particularly challenging environment for law enforcement agencies.


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Confidence

90%

Doubts
  • Exact number of attackers not yet clear.
  • No concrete evidence to support Kremlin's accusations against Ukraine and NATO.

Sources

77%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Russia pins Dagestan attack on Ukraine and the West, ignoring religious tension

BBC News Site: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68702081, About Us URL: https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/ Steve Rosenberg Monday, 24 June 2024 23:33
  • Unique Points
    • 66-year-old Father Nikolai was murdered in Derbent, Dagestan on Trinity Sunday.
    • Gunmen attacked the local synagogue in Derbent and set it on fire.
    • Insurgents targeted churches and synagogues in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan.
  • Accuracy
    • ,
  • Deception (30%)
    The author makes unsubstantiated claims about Ukraine and the West orchestrating attacks in Dagestan without providing any evidence. This is an example of sensationalism and selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position while ignoring other possible explanations.
    • Mr Gadzhiev suggested that the intelligence services of Ukraine and Nato countries may have orchestrated the attacks.
    • The writer continued: ‘When it comes to unrest in this region traditionally it’s the ears of British intelligence that stick out.’
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority fallacy by quoting Russian MP Abdulkhakim Gadzhiev's unsubstantiated accusation that Ukraine and Nato countries may have orchestrated the attacks. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating 'When it comes to unrest in this region traditionally it’s the ears of British intelligence that stick out.'
    • The writer continued: ‘When it comes to unrest in this region traditionally it‘s the ears of British intelligence that stick out.’
  • Bias (80%)
    The author suggests that the Russian authorities are blaming Ukraine and the West for the attacks without providing any evidence. This is an example of monetary bias as it serves to divert attention away from domestic issues and towards a perceived enemy.
    • But not everyone here believes that Ukraine has been plotting Islamist attacks on Russia.
      • Mr Gadzhiev suggested that the intelligence services of Ukraine and Nato countries may have orchestrated the attacks.
        • The writer continued: ‘When it comes to unrest in this region traditionally it’s the ears of British intelligence that stick out.’
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        92%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        Mixed martial arts fighter, relatives of regional official among Dagestan attackers, Russian authorities say

        CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Radina Gigova, Monday, 24 June 2024 22:00
        • Unique Points
          • Mixed martial arts fighter Gadzhimurad Kagirov, a cousin of the head of Sergokalinsky district Magomed Omarov, was among the attackers in Derbent.
        • Accuracy
          • Mixed martial arts fighter Gadzhimurad Kagirov was among the attackers in Derbent.
          • At least 15 police officers and four civilians were killed during the attacks.
          • The head of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, has relieved Magomed Omarov from his post and expelled him from the United Russia party following allegations that some of his relatives were involved in the attacks.
          • Attacks occurred in Derbent and Makhachkala on Sunday.
          • Gunmen targeted multiple places of worship and a police traffic stop.
        • Deception (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Fallacies (80%)
          The article contains a few informal fallacies and an example of inflammatory rhetoric. It uses a dichotomous depiction by presenting the attackers as relatives of a regional official and a mixed martial arts fighter, implying that they must have been radicalized or driven to violence by their familial connections. Additionally, the article quotes the head of Dagestan making inflammatory statements about the responsibility of the regional official's parents. The author does not clearly distinguish between statements made by sources and their own interpretations, which can lead to confusion.
          • ][The head of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, told reporters Monday that Omarov had since been relieved from his post and expelled from one of the main parties in the Russian parliament, the United Russia party. Melikov didn’t specify how many of Omarov’s relatives were allegedly involved in the attacks. Melikov said he is not able to comment further on the degree of Omarov’s guilt and his possible participation in the attacks. “This is the task of the investigative authorities. But if his participation is confirmed, then there will be full responsibility,” he said.
        • Bias (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        97%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        Death Toll in Dagestan Church and Synagogue Attacks Rises, Officials Say

        The Name Of The NZ Prefix. I PWA NZI.P.Was Dropped. Anatoly Kurmanaev, Monday, 24 June 2024 10:43
        • Unique Points
          • At least 20 people were killed in a deadly attack on a police station and places of worship in southern Russia's Dagestan region on Sunday.
          • It evoked memories of intense violence that had gripped Russia's predominantly Muslim region in the late 1990s and early 2000s, caused by a combination of Islamic fundamentalism and organized crime.
          • President Vladimir V. Putin’s legacy of suppressing this violence is now at risk due to a new spate of extremist violence.
        • Accuracy
          • The assault was the deadliest attack in the region in 14 years.
          • In March 2024, four gunmen killed 145 people at a concert hall near Moscow in an attack claimed by the Islamic State.
          • In October 2024, a mob stormed a plane arriving from Tel Aviv, apparently searching for Jewish passengers.
        • Deception (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Fallacies (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Bias (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        61%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        Russia is crumbling from within

        Entertainment Variety Tv Site: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv-site/ Unknown Samuel Monday, 24 June 2024 23:37
        • Unique Points
          • Dagestan has faced waves of violence in the past but attacks have become more rare in recent years.
          • The attacks follow recent extremist violence in the country. In March, four armed men killed 145 people at a concert hall.
        • Accuracy
          • On Sunday evening, terrorist attacks occurred in the North Caucasus region of Dagestan, resulting in at least 15 deaths.
          • Gunmen attacked a synagogue in Derbent and slit the throat of Russian Orthodox priest Father Nikolay.
          • Attacks targeted Jewish and Christian houses of worship in Makhachkala.
          • Dagestani State Duma Deputy Abulkhakim Gadzhiev accused Ukraine and NATO’s intelligence agencies of perpetrating the attack.
          • The Islamic State- Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) carried out the March 2024 Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow that killed 145 people.
          • Terrorists from ISIS’s North Caucasus branch Wilayat Kavkaz likely carried out the latest attacks in Dagestan.
          • Russian troops rolled into Ukraine in February 2022, and the FSB became preoccupied with running ‘filtration camps’ to test the loyalties of Ukrainians in occupied territories.
          • The FSB’s obsession with surveilling Russians and punishing anti-war dissidents destroyed its effectiveness according to some critics.
        • Deception (30%)
          The article contains selective reporting and emotional manipulation. The author focuses on the terrorist attacks in Dagestan and uses them to blame President Putin for Russia's security issues, while ignoring other factors that may contribute to the unrest in the region. The author also implies that Putin's war against Ukraine is responsible for the increase in terrorism, but does not provide any evidence to support this claim. Additionally, the article uses emotional language to describe the terrorist attacks and their impact on innocent people, which can manipulate readers' emotions and make them more receptive to the author's argument.
          • The Kremlin’s reaction to these terrorist attacks was — as one might predict — fiercely conspiratorial. The narrative that ‘outside forces’ were promoting inter-ethnic and religious discord within Russia circulated.
          • Putin’s thirst for totalitarian control has distracted the FSB from its counter-terrorism responsibilities and reduced its efficiency as a security organ.
          • These brutal crimes claimed the lives of at least 15 people, including police officers.
        • Fallacies (85%)
          The author makes several appeals to authority by mentioning Russian journalist Kirill Martynov and Russian opposition activist Ivan Zhdanov. He also uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing the terrorist attacks as 'brutal' and 'harrowing'. The author also engages in dichotomous depiction by contrasting Putin's narrative of restoring order with the current state of instability in Russia.
          • The Russian journalist Kirill Martynov scathingly criticised the FSB for focusing on ‘CLGBT extremists’ and dismissing warnings from Western intelligence agencies that an attack was imminent.
          • Russian opposition activist Ivan Zhdanov claimed that the FSB’s obsession with surveilling Russians and punishing anti-war dissidents destroyed its effectiveness.
          • The author describes the terrorist attacks as 'brutal crimes' and 'harrowing attacks'.
        • Bias (10%)
          The author demonstrates a clear bias against the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin. The article accuses the Kremlin of deflecting blame from Putin for terrorist attacks in Russia by blaming outside forces. The author also accuses the FSB of being distracted from its counter-terrorism responsibilities due to Putin's thirst for totalitarian control and his focus on Ukraine. The article also implies that the Russian government is responsible for the economic crisis in Dagestan and that this has led to an increase in political violence, radicalization, and terrorism.
          • As repression silenced the 2,000-strong legion of anti-mobilisation protesters in Dagestan, the appeal of political violence, radicalisation, and terrorism, has grown.
            • Putin's thirst for totalitarian control has distracted the FSB from its counter-terrorism responsibilities and reduced its efficiency as a security organ.
              • The Kremlin’s reaction to these terrorist attacks was — as one might predict — fiercely conspiratorial. The narrative that ‘outside forces’ were promoting inter-ethnic and religious discord within Russia circulated.
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication

              94%

              The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
              (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

              A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

              Multiple people, including a priest, killed in attacks in Russian Republic, officials say

              USA Today Thao Nguyen Monday, 24 June 2024 00:00
              • Unique Points
                • Gunmen opened fire at synagogues, churches and a police post in the cities of Makhachkala and Derbent in the Republic of Dagestan.
                • Multiple people, including an Orthodox priest and police officers, were killed in the attacks.
                • The exact number of gunmen and victims involved in the attacks was not immediately clear.
                • Dagestan’s Gov. Sergei Melikov said six of the gunmen had been ‘liquidated’ in the two cities.
                • The National Anti-Terrorist Committee said five attackers were ‘eliminated’.
                • More than 15 police officers and several civilians, including an Orthodox priest, were killed in the attacks.
                • Dagestan Governor declared Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as days of mourning with flags lowered to half-staff and all entertainment events canceled.
                • The mountainous region was hit by an Islamist insurgency that spilled over from neighboring Chechnya in the 2000s, which Russia’s Federal Security Service said was quelled in 2017.
                • The attacks follow recent extremist violence in the country. In March, four armed men killed 145 people at a concert hall.
                • There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, but Melikov said authorities understand who is behind the organization of the terrorist attacks and what goal they pursued.
                • Gunfire erupted in the center of Makhachkala and exits from the Caspian Sea port were closed amidst violence.
                • About 75 miles south of Makhachkala, gunmen attacked a synagogue and a church in Derbent. Both the synagogue and the church were set on fire, and two attackers were killed.
                • Two attackers were detained and identified as the sons of the head of central Dagestan’s Sergokala district.
              • Accuracy
                • At least 15 police officers and several civilians, including an Orthodox priest, were killed in the attacks.
                • Dagestan has faced waves of violence in the past but attacks have become more rare in recent years.
                • Chronic economic and social problems, including high unemployment and rampant corruption, have fueled extremism in Dagestan.
                • Russian security forces have been battling armed insurgents in Dagestan for years.
              • Deception (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Fallacies (85%)
                The article contains inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority. It also presents a dichotomous depiction of the events.
                • . . . attacks have become more rare in recent years. The mountainous region was hit by an Islamist insurgency that spilled over from neighboring Chechnya in the 2000s, which Russia's Federal Security Service said was quelled in 2017.
                • In March, four armed men killed 145 people at a concert hall. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which was Russia's worst terrorist attack in years.
                • About 75 miles south of Makhachkala, gunmen attacked a synagogue and a church in Derbent. Authorities told Russian media that both the synagogue and the church were set on fire, and two attackers were killed.
              • Bias (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication