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The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the Tuesday night shooting that targeted a group of tourists visiting an ancient fortress in the Republic of Dagestan in southern Russia, which killed one person and wounding 11 others, a group monitoring the extremist militia said Thursday.
"With the help of Allah, the warriors of the (Caliphate) were able to attack a group of Russian special service officers in the city of Derbent in southern Dagestan, killing one officer and injuring the others," the monitoring organisation SITE quoted the affiliate of the Islamic State group in the region as saying on Wednesday.
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IS’ Caucasus Province Claims Attack in Southern Dagestan https://t.co/5TT5ap04EQ
— SITE Intel Group (@siteintelgroup)
December 30, 201
The group of 20 tourists were visiting the Naryn-Kala fortress in Derbent city in Dagestan, a United Nations’ World Heritage site in the North Caucasus. The gunmen killed a member of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), according to RIA Novosti state news agency citing an unnamed source.
In recent years, Russian and local authorities have been battling a low-key extremist Muslim group seeking autonomy from Russia and an independent state in the Dagestan.
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In recent months, many from the local militant group have been joining the Islamic State group which announced in June that it had established a branch in Dagestan.
The attack comes as Russian warplanes have been conducting intensive airstrikes against several extremist groups in Syria over the past few days. The Russian army said Wednesday that it had conducted 121 airstrikes in Syria this week hitting 424 targets.
Extremist groups in Syria have been calling on their allies in Russia to target security service and police there as a response against Russia’s operation in Syria, which kicked off in Sept 30.
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Few days before the Paris attacks, the Islamic State group threatened Russia with attacks in a video published in November.
According to FSB figures released earlier this month, nearly 2,900 Russians are fighting or have fought with the extremist jihadists in Iraq and Syria.
The ancient city of Derbent is considered a historical treasure and was listed by UNESCO in 2003. It celebrated its 2,000th anniversary this year.
The Naryn-Kala fortress formed part of the northern defenses of the Sasanian Persian Empire and was used by succeeding rulers for 15 centuries, according to the United Nations agency. It also houses Russia's oldest mosque and madrasa, or Islamic religious school.
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