AKIPRESS.COM - More than fifteen police officers became victims of the terrorist attack in Dagestan, head of the region Sergey Melikov said, TASS reported.

"More than fifteen police officers fell victims of the today’s terrorist act, protecting peace and calmness of Dagestan," he said in a video posted on the Telegram channel.

Several civilians were also killed as a result of the terrorist act, including Father Nikolay, who served for more than forty years in the Orthodox church in Derbent, he added.

Six militants were killed in Dagestan and authorities will continue detecting sleeper cells, head of the region Sergey Melikov said.

"Six gunmen were killed. Further operative and search and investigative action will continue until detecting all the participants of sleeper cells, which were definitely prepared in particular from abroad," Melikov said.

The situation in Dagestan after the terrorist acts in Makhachkala and Derbent is under control of authorities and law enforcement agencies, he noted. "The situation is controlled by government authorities, by law enforcement authorities," Melikov stressed.

The three-day mourning is announced in Dagestan due to attacks of militants.

Unidentified attackers opened fire from automatic guns at a synagogue and a church in the city of Derbent, killing one police officer and wounded another one, the Dagestani interior ministry told TASS.

"At about 6:00 p.m. Moscow time (3:00 p.m. GMT), unidentified persons opened fire from automatic weapons at a synagogue and a church. According to preliminary data, one police officer was killed and another one was wounded. The attackers fled in a white Volkswagen Polo car. The police are after them. Information about the incident is being verified," a ministry spokesman said, adding that efforts are being made to identify the attackers.