Deadly Attack in Dagestan Revives Terrorism Fears in Russia

At least 20 people were killed in a coordinated assault in Dagestan, marking the deadliest attack in the region in 14 years. Russian authorities labeled the incident an act of terror, but the perpetrators remain unidentified. Gunmen targeted a police station, synagogues, and Orthodox churches, killing 15 police officers and an Orthodox priest. Security forces killed five attackers.

The attack echoes the violence in the Northern Caucasus during the late 1990s and early 2000s, driven by Islamic fundamentalism and organized crime. President Vladimir Putin's suppression of this violence was a key achievement of his early tenure. However, recent attacks, including a March incident near Moscow claimed by ISIS that left 145 dead, threaten to undermine this legacy.