MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport stepped up security following recent terrorist attacks in Russia’s southern Dagestan region, according to a TASS reporter.
Queues at check-in counters can take about an hour and a half, as staff scrutinize documents. Documents then are checked again in the security control area. Security checks are more thorough and involve manual inspection and walk-through people scanners. Everyone is asked to take off their shoes, including open-toe shoes. Police patrols, often with sniffer dogs, have been increased. An airport employee told TASS that heavier security was introduced following the attacks in Dagestan.
On June 23, gunmen attacked two Russian Orthodox churches, two synagogues and a traffic police post in the towns of Derbent and Makhachkala. More than 15 policemen were killed. According to Dagestan’s head Sergey Melikov, also several civilians were killed, including an Orthodox priest. Latest data show 25 people, including policemen, were injured.
A criminal investigation into the attacks is underway. According to the National Antiterrorism Committee, five militants were neutralized. Melikov said six gunmen were eliminated. He also said the authorities will continue to identify sleeper cells of militants, which were set up with assistance from across the border, among other things.