UN chief condemns synagogue, church attacks in Russia's Dagestan

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned "in the strongest terms" weekend attacks on a series of churches and synagogues in the Russian Republic of Dagestan that killed at least 20 people and dozens more injured.

"The Secretary-General conveys his condolences to the bereaved families and the people and the Government of the Russian Federation and wishes those injured a speedy recovery," Stephane Dujarric, Guterres' spokesperson, said in a statement.

Sunday's attacks targeted a police checkpoint in Makhachkala, Dagestan's administrative capital, as well as two churches and a synagogue in the Caspian Sea city of Derbent. The two cities are located about 128 kilometers (79.5 miles) from each other.

At least one priest was killed in the attacks, as were 15 police officers. Three days of mourning have been declared in the Russian North Caucasus region.

In the early 2000s, Dagestan saw near-daily attacks on police and other authorities.

“Now Russia is different, society is absolutely consolidated and such criminal terrorist manifestations, like the one we saw in Dagestan yesterday, are not supported by society either in Russia itself or in Dagestan,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday.​​​​​​​