Terrorist attacks leave bloodshed in Makhachkala streets

Another series of terrorist attacks has unfolded on Russian territory. New recordings are appearing online that show attackers striking police officers on the streets of Makhachkala. The videos capture the initial moments of the attack and the exchange of fire between the assailants and the police officers.

The last few days in Russia have been anything but calm. There have been brutal terrorist attacks, with the number of injured and killed rising steadily. One of the most notorious incidents took place in Makhachkala, where the attackers killed several police officers and a priest.

Within just a few dozen hours, terrorists attacked a synagogue and a church in Derbent, a cathedral and a police station in Makhachkala, and later fired on a car in the village of Sergokala. As a result, 19 people were killed, 15 of whom were officers. The high number of casualties was largely due to a nearly 30-minute firefight.

The state's response should be only one: for terrorists – the death penalty, for their accomplices – imprisonment, for their relatives and friends – expulsion from government service and a lifetime ban from working in government bodies. Otherwise, we will not defeat this hydra, urged Sergei Mironov, leader of the Just Russia party, as quoted by "Kommersant."

Just a few minutes after the attack, the first videos showing the assailants appeared on the internet. In one of them, the initial struggles of the police officers from Makhachkala can be seen, as they were visibly caught off guard by the attack.

The video also shows one of the Russian officers falling to the ground next to a car after being wounded. He is likely one of the many police officers who were injured or killed in the Sunday attack.

Russian media report that one of the attackers in Dagestan was Ali Zakarigae, the former chairman of the Just Russia party branch in the Sergokala district.