The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for a shooting at an ancient citadel in Russia’s volatile North Caucasus region of Dagestan that killed one and injured 11, the SITE Intelligence Group said.
“With the help of Allah, the warriors of the Khalifate 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 terrorist monitoring organisation SITE quoted IS as saying on Wednesday.
The deadly attack took place on Tuesday night near the citadel of Derbent, which claims to be Russia’s oldest city, and which this year celebrated its 2,000th anniversary.
Rebels in Dagestan, a restive region just east of Chechnya, have been increasingly flocking to join IS, which in June declared it had established a franchise there.
Syria’s al Qaeda affiliate al Nusra Front had called on terrorists from the Caucasus to perpetrate attacks in Russia in response to Moscow’s bombing campaign in the country.
