Tourists were attacked in Naryn-Kala citadel
Tourists were attacked in Naryn-Kala citadel

Gunmen have shot dead one tourist and wounded 11 others in an attack on Derbent citadel in Dagestan, a Unesco World Heritage site in southern Russia.

The tourists were attacked on Tuesday night (29 December) while on the panoramic terrace of the Naryn-Kala fortress. Local police said that the gunman aimed at the flashing cameras of the tourists, according to Tass news agency.

Five of those injured are in a serious condition, said local health officials. The identity and nationality of the tourists has not been disclosed.

Dagestan has battled Islamist groups for years, many of whom support separatism in nearby Chechnya. The gunmen fled, and no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Nary-Kala fortress was built in the 8th century AD. It houses Russia's oldest mosque and madrasa, or Islamic religious school. It was seized by Russian troops from forces loyal to Persia in 1796.

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