The attacks targeted multiple places of worship and a police traffic stop in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala, which are situated about 120km (75 miles) apart. Among the victims are seven law enforcement officers, a priest, and a church security guard. Notably, one of the fallen officers was Mavludin Khidirnabiev, head of the “Dagestan Lights” police department, as reported by the Dagestan Ministry of Internal Affairs via their Telegram channel.

Additionally, four attackers, described as "militants," were killed during the clashes, according to the Russian news agency TASS. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. However, law enforcement agencies informed TASS that the attackers were “adherents of an international terrorist organization.”

Shamil Khadulaev, Chairman of the Dagestan Public Monitoring Commission, provided further details on the tragic death of Father Nikolay, the priest who was killed. “They slit his throat. He was 66-years-old and very ill,” Khadulaev stated. He also mentioned that a security guard, armed only with a pistol, was fatally shot.

Nighttime footage shared by the Republic of Dagestan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs showed at least a dozen law enforcement officers, armed and wearing tactical gear, outside the gates of a cathedral in northwestern Makhachkala. CNN has confirmed the location as the gates of Svyato-Uspenskiy Sobor, a Russian Orthodox venue.

Earlier on Sunday, Russian state media TASS reported a shootout at Svyato-Uspenskiy Sobor, which resulted in the death of a security guard. During the attack, 19 people had locked themselves inside the premises. While it remains unclear if the standoff has fully ended, TASS reported that those inside have since been evacuated to safety, citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan.

Furthermore, two synagogues in Dagestan, one in Derbent and one in Makhachkala, were also targeted, as confirmed by a statement from the Russian Jewish Congress (RJC).