Policeman who lost father, mother and sister to attackers is killed in Dagestan

Policeman killed in Russia’s Dagestan

MAKHACHKALA, Russia — Officials in Russia’s violence-plagued Dagestan say gunmen have killed a policeman who earlier had lost his father, mother and sister to attackers.

Regional Interior Ministry spokesman Vyacheslav Gasanov says police lieutenant Rasul Magomedov was gunned down Monday afternoon outside a village police station.

Magomedov’s father, a district police commander was killed by insurgents in 2008. The next year, his mother and sister were killed in a bomb blast at the cemetery where they were visiting the father’s grave.

For the past decade, Dagestan has suffered persistent violence by insurgents believed to be inspired by the separatists in neighboring Chechnya.

Attacks on police and clashes with small groups of militants are frequent.