Easter service in Kizlyar held under intense guard

During the festive Easter service, armed policemen were guarding the entrance to the Kizlyar church, where in February parishioners were shot dead. The attack rallied the Orthodox community, without affecting the inter-confessional relations, local residents have noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 18, a man opened fire near the church in Kizlyar. Four women died on the spot, another one died in the hospital. Also, two law enforcers and two women were hospitalized in grave condition; one woman had her arm amputated.

Long before the Easter service, all the accesses to the Saint George the Victorious Church in Kizlyar were blocked; and mobile police posts were deployed in the nearest streets.

The church guarding was strengthened in connection with the celebration of Easter. On usual days, two policemen are on duty at the church, one of the policemen, guarding the church, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to Father Pavel, the Abbot of the Church, after the incident on February 18, the number of people visiting the church increased, since the tragedy rallied the Orthodox community of Kizlyar.

"Even those who had never visited the church before are now coming here. People realized that the evil has neither nationality nor religion; and what happened could not be related to some nation or some particular religion," Father Pavel has stressed.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.