Deadly Attacks on Churches, Synagogues in Russia

Stand for Israel | June 24, 2024

Kele-Numaz Synagogue in Derbent/Wikimedia Commons — Photo: Derbent Synagogue/Wikimedia Commons by Шамиль Магомедов licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en)

Brutal attacks by radical Islamists in Russia’s Dagestan region have claimed the lives of 19 people, reports The Times of Israel:

Sunday’s violence was the latest that officials blamed on Islamic extremists in the predominantly Muslim region in the North Caucasus, as well as the deadliest in Russia since March, when gunmen opened fire at a concert in suburban Moscow, killing 145 people.

The March attack was claimed by an affiliate of the Islamic State group. But no one has stepped forward to take responsibility for Sunday’s attacks in Dagestan’s regional capital of Makhachkala and nearby Derbent, both adjacent to the Caspian Sea.

Now, more than ever, Christians and Jews need to stand together in solidarity to counter the forces of hatred and intolerance that aim to destroy us. Please pray for the loved ones of the victims of these horrific attacks, and for peace to reign in the entire region … and the world.