MAKHACHKALA, June 24. /TASS/. Some of the militants who attacked a synagogue and churches in Dagestan were killed, the rest will be punished, Dagestani Interior Minister Abdurashid Magomedov said.

"We will not let external forces wreck our peace and our unity. Some of the bandits were killed on the spot yesterday, others will be duly punished," he was quoted as saying on the ministry’s Telegram channel.

He confirmed that fifteen police officers were killed in shootouts. "This is an enormous tragedy for each family, for each of us. This organized attack on religious facilities was geared to instigate hatred and sow discord among our people. But we must remember that Dagestan has always been a place where people of various religions and nationalities live in peace and accord," he stressed.