MOSCOW, November 3. /TASS/. The deputy head of the Russian presidential staff, Magomedsalam Magomedov, who is a native of Dagestan and led the region in 2010-2013, has urged not to judge the situation there on the basis of the latest incident of unrest at the airport alone.

"I don't want my native republic, Dagestan, to be judged on the basis of this incident. It is not typical of Dagestan, it is rather an exception - a rare one, but it happened nonetheless," the Kremlin official said at the all-Russia forum Peoples of Russia. "Those who committed unlawful acts do not have much support from the Dagestani people."

Magomedov emphasized that Dagestan was Russia's most multi-ethnic republic and had always been an example of interethnic and interfaith peace and harmony.

"Back in Soviet times, Dagestan was called a 'laboratory of interethnic relations'. A culture of interethnic and interconfessional harmony based on mutual respect, mutual assistance, and good neighborliness took shape there over centuries. An absolute majority of Dagestanis live this way today, in accordance with these principles," he pointed out.

On October 29, mass riots took place at Makhachkala airport following the arrival of a regular flight from Tel Aviv amid the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East. A crowd of several hundred entered the airport building and the airfield. Later they were forced out by police. More than 20 people were injured, including police officers. More than 80 rioters were detained. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the riots had been instigated from abroad.