In a tragic incident on Monday, gunmen opened fire on police officers in Dagestan, a region in southern Russia. At least three officers were killed, and four others sustained injuries. The attack occurred in the region’s capital, Makhachkala, when police tried to stop a car, according to local reports.

Dagestan’s leader, Sergei Melikov, confirmed the shooting, which began around 14:20 local time (11:20 GMT). The Russian Interior Ministry reported that two attackers were killed on the spot. The assailants, both born in 2000, have been identified, but authorities have not revealed how many people were involved in the attack. Following the incident, a manhunt was launched as some attackers escaped in a vehicle.

Footage shared on Telegram revealed a chaotic scene, with bodies lying on the road near a police car. Gunshots can be heard in the background as bystanders gathered around the location. The attack also left a 17-year-old girl and several other officers and civilians injured. All of them were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

A History of Violence in Dagestan

This attack is just one in a series of deadly incidents in Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region on the Caspian Sea. In March, Russian security forces reported that they killed four alleged ISIS militants planning an attack on a local Interior Ministry office.

Just last week, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed to have killed a man who was suspected of planning bombings on Moscow’s metro and a Jewish religious site. In June 2024, a major attack resulted in the deaths of at least 20 people when armed men targeted a synagogue, churches, and police officers in the region.

These violent events come after a deadly attack in March 2024, which left 133 people dead at a concert in Moscow’s Crocus City Hall.