Special service veterans treat militants' attack in Dagestan as law enforcers' failure

The militants' attacks in Dagestan were law enforcers' failure, who could not pay due attention to preventive work, veterans of special services have pointed out, adding that attackers' actions were similar to the tactics of militants of the "Islamic State" (IS)*.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 23, on the Christian holiday of the Holy Trinity, militants attacked an Orthodox Church and synagogue in Derbent, and a traffic police (DPS) post in Makhachkala. After the militants' attack, Magomed Omarov, the head of the Dagestani Sergokalinsky District, was expelled from the "Edinaya Rossiya (United Russia) Party and relieved of his post. Omarov's sons and his nephew were among the attackers, Sergey Melikov, the head of Dagestan, has stated.

Vasily Dandykin, a military expert, is sure that judging by the available information, the attack had been prepared in advance. He does not exclude that the militants are associated with the IS*. "It is noteworthy that objects of religious worship were attacked. This is also their style," he has noted.

Leonid Syukiyainen and Dmitry Mikulsky, religious scholars, have pointed out that the verses from the Koran, references to which were left by attackers at the Derbent synagogue, are interpreted by extremists as justification of their confrontation with Jews and Christians. The date of the attacks was chosen by militants because of the Christian holiday celebrated on that day, the scholars have suggested.

Sergey Goncharov, the president of the Association of Veterans of the "Alpha" Counterterrorist Unit, treats the attacks in Makhachkala and Derbent as law enforcers' failure. "These are serious losses; they raise questions about whether forces were used correctly during the counterterrorist operation (CTO), whether this operation was organized properly, and so on," he said.

Magomed Shamilov, a former employee of the Dagestani Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), believes that law enforcers' failure was caused by their relaxation. "It might have seemed to many that there had been no terrorist attacks in Dagestan for several years and there was no longer a danger from IS* militants. Yes, there were positive results, but there was no need to relax. They had to continue their operative work and look for everyone who sympathized with the IS*," he has noted.

Akhmet Yarlykapov, an Islamic scholar, has told the "Lenta.ru" outlet that the attackers' manner resembles the actions of IS* militants, although the attackers did not use the symbols of this banned organization.

*On December 29, 2014, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation recognized the organization "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL or IS) as a terrorist international organization and banned its activities in Russia.