A lone attacker claiming allegiance to the Islamic State killed five women outside an Orthodox church in Kizlyar, Dagestan, in 2018.
Key Facts
- Date
- 18 February 2018
- Fatalities
- 5 women killed
- Injured
- At least 5 (2 police, 3 others)
- Attacker
- Khalil Khalilov, age 22
- Weapons used
- Double-barreled shotgun and knife
- Attacker fate
- Shot and killed by police
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The attacker, a 22-year-old local man identified as Khalil Khalilov, pledged allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The Islamic State claimed him as one of its soldiers, and a video reportedly showed him declaring loyalty before the attack.
On 18 February 2018, Khalilov armed with a shotgun and knife opened fire on a crowd gathered outside an Orthodox church in Kizlyar, Dagestan, killing five women and wounding several others. Police officers on duty nearby engaged and shot him dead at the scene.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility by naming the attacker as Khalil al-Dagestani. The attack highlighted ongoing Islamist militant activity in Russia's North Caucasus region and the vulnerability of religious sites to lone-actor terrorism inspired by the group.