On 18 February 2018, a 22-year-old man local to the Russia's southern republic of Dagestan carrying a knife and a double-barreled shotgun opened fire on a crowd at an Orthodox church in Kizlyar, Dagestan, killing five women and injuring several other people, including two police and three others.[2] He was shot and killed by police on duty nearby.
| Kizlyar church shooting | |
|---|---|
| Part of Islamic State insurgency in the North Caucasus, Terrorism in Russia and Islamic terrorism in Europe | |
 | |
| Location | Kizlyar, Dagestan, Russia |
| Coordinates | 43°51′19″N 46°42′51″E / 43.8554°N 46.7142°E |
| Date | 18 February 2018 |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
| Weapons |
|
| Deaths | 6 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 4[1] |
| Perpetrator |  Islamic State (IS) |
| Assailant | Khalil Khalilov |
The attack occurred as churchgoers celebrated the Sunday of Forgiveness, the last day of Cheesefare week, a Christian holiday marking the last day before Lent according to the eastern Orthodox calendar.[3]
The Islamic State (IS) named the man Khalil al-Dagestani, one of its soldiers. Police named him Khalil Khalilov.[4] Pro-IS social media later shared a video of a masked man with a shotgun and knife, said to be the killer, pledging his allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Опубликован список погибших и пострадавших в результате стрельбы в Кизляре". dag.aif.ru. Feb 18, 2018. Retrieved Oct 26, 2019.
- ^ a b Kramer, Andrew E.; Callimachi, Rukmini (18 February 2018). "ISIS Claims Deadly Attack on Church in Russian Region of Dagestan". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "Five killed in attack on church in Russia's Dagestan: agencies". Reuters. 18 February 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ^ "Russia Dagestan shooting: Five women killed in attack on churchgoers". BBC News. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.