Two police officers killed in armed attack in Makhachkala

Two police officers have been killed and several others injured in an armed attack on a traffic patrol unit in the capital of Daghestan. The incident, which took place on Monday afternoon in Makhachkala, also left three civilians wounded, including a 17-year-old girl.

The shooting occurred at around 14:20 local time at the intersection of Kerimova and Magomedtagirova streets. According to preliminary reports, officers from the traffic patrol service (DPS) attempted to stop a suspicious vehicle to check documents. In response, the militants opened fire on the police.

Two officers were fatally wounded, with one reportedly dying later in hospital, according to regional Health Minister Yaroslav Glazov. Initial police reports stated three officers had died, but this was later revised.

Following the attack, the assailants seized a police vehicle and attempted to flee. A city-wide manhunt was launched and, according to the Interior Ministry, both attackers were killed during the ensuing chase. However, the Investigative Committee contradicted this, stating that only one assailant had been killed and the other injured.

‘One of the attackers has been eliminated, the other is wounded and is in a medical centre,’ a representative of the Investigative Committee told TASS on Tuesday afternoon.

Shortly after the attack, some media outlets and Telegram channels reported that four individuals were involved and that two had escaped in a police vehicle. However, the Daghestani Interior Ministry has rejected these claims, insisting there were only two assailants and that both had been killed.

Local Telegram channels and social media accounts also reported that two wounded suspects had been taken to hospital. According to Russian media outlet Kommersant, citing an anonymous source, the attackers were identified as Akhmed Alimagomedov and Batal Magomedov, both born in 2000. The source claimed they were natives of Daghestan and had not previously been on the radar of security services.

In addition to the two dead officers, two other members of the security forces were wounded, along with three civilians. Among them was a 17-year-old girl who sustained shrapnel injuries; her condition has been described as moderate. All injured parties were taken to regional hospitals for treatment.

Daghestani Head Sergei Melikov offered his condolences to the families of the victims and urged residents to remain calm, observe safety precautions, and rely only on verified information. He described the attack as ‘cowardly, from behind’ and called the perpetrators ‘bandits’. Melikov said Daghestan was ‘once again being tested for its unity’ and assured the public that law enforcement agencies were doing everything possible to establish the full circumstances of the incident.

Melikov also announced financial support for the victims and their families: ₽1 million ($12,000) each will be allocated to the families of the deceased officers, and up to ₽500,000 ($6,000) for those injured. The money will be drawn from the regional social fund All Together.

The regional branch of the Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case under several articles: attempted murder of law enforcement officers, unlawful possession of weapons, and unauthorised use of a vehicle without intent to steal.

This is the third armed incident involving law enforcement in Daghestan in the past two months.

On 23 April, a driver in the Daghestani city of Derbent ran over a police officer and opened fire on others before being fatally shot.

On the night of 5 March, a counter-terrorist regime was declared in the village of Semender in Makhachkala. According to the Daghestan operative headquarters, during the check by law enforcers of information about possible preparation of a terrorist attack, several people opened fire during an attempt to detain them. They were blocked in one of the houses. Four people were killed by law enforcement officers in the shootout. The Anti-Terrorist Committee declared those killed as militants of the banned terrorist organisation Islamic State.

Driver hits police officer and opens fire on others in Daghestan

A driver in Derbent has reportedly hit a police officer with his car and opened fire at other officers before being killed.

OC MediaElizaveta Chukharova