Russia's Dagestan temporarily on high alert after reports of armed man in Makhachkala

FILE PHOTO: An interior view of Derbent synagogue following an attack by gunmen and a fire, in Derbent in the region of Dagestan, Russia June 24, 2024, in this still image taken from video. Head of the Dagestan region Sergei Melikov via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS/ File Photo

(Reuters) - Russia's Dagestan region was put temporarily on a high alert late on Tuesday after reports of an armed man in Makhachkala, one of the two cities in the North Caucasus region where gunmen killed 20 people over the weekend.

The region's police conducted checks on several streets in Makhachkala urging people to flee the area after reports of an armed man on one of the city's squares, RIA state news agency reported, citing a spokeswoman for the region's internal affairs ministry.