Terrorist Attack in Dagestan: Court Identifies Organizer
On June 28, the Supreme Court of Dagestan announced that a criminal group responsible for organizing terrorist attacks in the region was established by Magomed Omarov, the son of the former head of the Sergokalinsky district.
According to RIA Novosti, one of the militants killed was 31-year-old Osman Omarov, the son of Magomed Omarov, who was dismissed following the attacks.
“An accomplice of the militants joined the group created by Omarov O.M. (…) Following this, members of the criminal group, united by common motives, began preparing to commit terrorist acts in the Republic of Dagestan,” stated the press release from the Supreme Court of Dagestan regarding the arrest of a militant accomplice involved in the terrorist attack in Derbent.
It was also reported that Osman Omarov demanded his accomplices recognize him as the sole leader of the gang and swear an oath to him in order to directly participate in the crimes.
Previously, there were reports of unknown individuals firing at a synagogue and a church in Derbent, as well as attacking a traffic police post in Makhachkala. The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Republic of Dagestan opened criminal cases under Article 205 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Terrorist Act”). Later, it was revealed that more than 15 police officers and several civilians, including a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, were killed as a result of the armed attacks on Makhachkala and Derbent. On June 24, the Dagestan Ministry of Health reported that the death toll from the terrorist attacks had risen to 20.
On June 24, during a telephone conversation, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed his condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people over the loss of life resulting from the terrorist attacks in Dagestan.
