Moscow, Russia

In a deadly attack, gunmen opened fire at a synagogue in Derbent, a city in Russia's North Caucasus region of Dagestan, killing six police officers, as per reports citing the country's interior ministry. 

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The incident occurred on Sunday (June 23) evening, with reports indicating that the attackers also targeted an Orthodox church which resulted in the killing of a priest. "Unidentified people fired at a synagogue and a church with automatic weapons," as per Interior Ministry. 

Dagestan Public Monitoring Commission Chairman Shamil Khadulaev said, “According to the information I received, Father Nikolay was killed in the Church in Derbent, they slit his throat. He was 66-years-old and very ill." 

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A police post was also attacked in the area. 

One of the police officers was killed during gunfire at a police post in Makhachkala, a predominantly Muslim region in southern Russia. 

According to Russian media, the shooting began around 6 pm local time when unknown gunmen opened fire on the synagogue with automatic weapons.

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The incident comes after several recent operations by Russia against ISIS terrorist operatives. 

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“All the circumstances of the incident and the persons involved in the terrorist attacks are being established, and their actions will be given a legal assessment,” the investigative directorate statement read.

After carrying out the attack, the gunmen fled the spot in a vehicle. The synagogue was on fire, as per reports. 

In March, ISIS carried out the worst attack in Russia in over 20 years, killing at least 144 people at a concert venue in Moscow. In 2013, a Chabad emissary to the city, Rabbi Ovadia Isakov, was shot and seriously wounded.

(With inputs from agencies)