In Dagestan, villager detained after shooting at gathering in a mosque

An incident in the central mosque of the village of Manaskent occurred during a gathering of villagers who were discussing the use of land near the mosque, a press officer of the Karabudakhkent district administration told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent, specifying that the gathering took place on May 9.

“As a result of the gathering, a dispute arose between two groups of citizens, which escalated into a fight. One of the participants fired several shots at the other from a traumatic pistol. The victim retaliated by stabbing him, causing a non-penetrating wound,” the administration official said. He noted that there were no serious injuries during the incident.

A criminal case was instituted after the incident. The shooter was detained, and during interrogation he admitted his guilt, the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent learned from an officer of the Interior Division for the Karabudakhkent District of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

Abdul, a resident of the Manaskent village, told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent that the villagers came to the mosque to decide together with the imam what to do with the lands adjacent to the mosque. “Some wanted to allow the construction of facilities there that would bring profit for the maintenance of the mosque and the village. Others opposed such a proposal. During the dispute, a clash broke out, which was then stopped by the villagers,” the man said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 12, 2022 at 03:04 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.