In Dagestan, authorities claim that attackers included a mixed martial arts fighter and relatives of a regional official.
State news agency TASS, quoting law enforcement departments, revealed on Monday that five perpetrators behind the attack on the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala on Sunday have been identified.
Individuals armed with guns launched assaults at numerous houses of worship and a police traffic stop in the two cities of the predominantly Muslim republic on Sunday, causing the death of at least 15 police officers and four civilians, including an Orthodox priest, as per authorities.
Some of the attackers hailed from the Sergokalinsky district, situated between the two cities, and were connected to the district's head, according to TASS.
Former mixed martial arts fighter Gadzhimurad Kagirov, a relative of the Sergokalinsky district head Magomed Omarov, was among those who attacked sites in Derbent, TASS reported.
A son and a nephew of Omarov were also part of the attackers, TASS revealed.
The head of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, spoke to reporters on Monday, stating that Omarov had been stripped of his position and expelled from the United Russia party, one of the main political parties in the Russian parliament.
Melikov did not provide specific details about the number of Omarov's relatives allegedly involved in the attacks.
Melikov commented that he cannot elaborate on the extent of Omarov's guilt and potential involvement in the attacks. “It is the duty of the investigative authorities to determine this. However, if his participation is confirmed, there will be full accountability,” he said.
He further added that, regardless of his direct involvement, Omarov, as a parent, bears responsibility for the actions of his children.
"How could he, as the head of a municipality, a member of the United Russia party, a high-ranking official who has served as the head of a municipality for several years, and whose responsibility is to look after the entire population of the region, overlook, miss, and overlook to such an extent that his children became killers?" he questioned.
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The attack in Dagestan has drawn international concern, with many questioning how someone in Omarov's position could allow his relatives to be involved in such violence, affecting the peace of Europe as a whole.
Despite the attacks in Dagestan, Europe and the world continue to look forward to celebrating New Year's Eve, reminding us of the resilience and unity that binds us all, regardless of cultural or geographical differences.
