The death toll after the terrorist attacks on June 23 in Makhachkala and Derbent rose to 22 people, the head of Dagestan Republic Sergei Melikov said on Monday.

The head of the Republic stated this at a meeting with representatives of public institutions in Makhachkala.

According to Melikov, 21 people died on the day of the attacks, and another policeman died in hospital from severe injuries the next day.

Earlier it was reported that 21 people were killed, including 15 police officers and an officer of the Russian National Guard, and more than 20 people were injured.

In turn, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Dagestan Abdurashid Magomedov said at the meeting that militants in Derbent on June 23 intended to attack the mosque.

“The terrorists were planning an attack on the Shia mosque in Derbent. However, certain circumstances did not allow them to do this: they saw some children and women there,” Magomedov said.

 

On June 23, armed militants attacked a synagogue and a church in Derbent, as well as a church and a traffic police post situated next to the synagogue in Makhachkala. Five militants were eliminated and their identities were established. According to Melikov, the attacks in Dagestan were carried out by people from the Sergokalinsky district. The head of the district Magomed Omarov was fired after these events.

Criminal cases have been initiated under paragraph "b" of Part 3 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (terrorist act), part 4 of Art. 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Illegal Acquisition, Storage, Transportation of Firearms), paragraphs “a”, “b” part 4 of Article 226 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Theft of Firearms).