Hundreds of anti-Israel protesters gathered at an airport in Russia’s predominantly Muslim Dagestan region on Sunday, where an Israeli plane had just landed.
The demonstration forced authorities to close the airport and intervene to remove the protesters, according to Reuters.
Local authorities confirmed that twenty people sustained injuries before security forces managed to contain the protest at Makhachkala airport.
Fortunately, the passengers on the Israeli plane were said to remain safe during the incident.
The unrest is one of several other anti-Israel protests in North Caucasus and other parts of the world, sparked by Israel’s war against Hamas militants in Gaza.
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The Dagestani government said early on Monday that it was strengthening security measures across the republic, which is home to about 3 million people.
Videos from Makhachkala airport obtained by Reuters showed the protesters, mostly young men, waving Palestinian flags, breaking down glass doors and running through the airport shouting “Allahu Akbar” or “God is Greatest”.
Another group were seen trying to topple over a patrol truck.
The Russian Aviation Authority closed the airport provisionally until November 6, when it completes security checks.
There were no immediate reports of arrests, but Russia’s federal investigations agency ordered a criminal probe into the incident.
Sergei Melikov, the head of Dagestan, said the incident was a gross violation of the law, even as Dagestanis “empathize with the suffering of victims of the actions of unrighteous people and politicians, and pray for peace in Palestine”.
“There is no courage in waiting as a mob for unarmed people who have not done anything forbidden,” Melikov said on the Telegram messaging app.
