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A religious procession of Russian Orthodox faithful outside the famous church of The Saviour on the Spilt Blood is reflected in a puddle's surface in St.Petersburg. A religious procession of Russian Orthodox faithful outside the famous church of The Saviour on the Spilt Blood is reflected in a puddle's surface in St.Petersburg May 19, 2005. The procession marked the birthday of Russia's last Tzar Nicholas II, believed to be born on May 19, 1868, and executed together with his family by Bolsheviks in 1918. Pictures of the month May 2005 Reuters
6:31 PM 02/18/2018
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A lone gunman opened fire on a crowd of people as they left church Sunday, killing five and injuring several others.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred in Kizlyar in the Muslim-majority province of Dagestan in southern Russia. ISIS has carried out a number of attacks on security personnel in the region.
The assailant was identified as 22-year-old Khalil Khalilov, a local resident. Armed with a knife and a hunting rifle, as well as extra ammunition, the attacker reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” before pumping rounds into his victims, a priest told local media, according to the New York Times. In its official statement, ISIS identified the attacker as Khalil al-Degestani.
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The churchgoers were leaving a worship service celebrating Maslenitsa, a traditional pre-Lent festival for Russian Orthodox Christians, when the so-called “soldier of the caliphate”opened fire. Four women were killed at the scene, and a fifth passed away at the hospital, BBC reported.
Security personnel shot and killed the attacker, ending the assault.
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