Local authorities reported that twenty individuals were injured during the unrest
Police say the airport is now fully under their control.
On Sunday, it was attacked by anti-Semitic rioters.
Russia accuses Ukraine of causing trouble, Kiev denies.
At least 60 people were arrested after hundreds of anti-Israel protesters staged a demonstration at Makhachkala airport in Russia's Dagestan on Sunday against an incoming plane from Israel.
This act of protest led to the closure of the airport and required the intervention of security forces to disperse the protesters.
Local authorities reported that twenty individuals were injured during the unrest, but the passengers on the Israeli plane remained safe.
The protests are part of a series of anti-Israel incidents that have erupted in the North Caucasus region in response to Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
To address the situation, the Dagestan government has announced its intention to strengthen security measures across the republic, which is home to approximately 3 million people.
The region has a history of conflict with Russian security forces, so the current protests are a challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is already dealing with a war in Ukraine and faced an attempted coup earlier this year.
Videos taken at Makhachkala airport and obtained by Reuters showed protesters, mainly young men, brandishing Palestinian flags, breaking through glass doors and marching through the airport chanting slogans such as "Allahu Akbar" or "God is greatest". Another group of protesters tried to overturn a patrol car.
The Kremlin said that the storming of an airport in the capital of the southern Russian region of Dagestan by an anti-Israeli mob was the result of ‘outside influence’ https://t.co/0aRYkstBbY pic.twitter.com/vnXZDaWGhi
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 30, 2023
In response to the situation, the Russian Aviation Authority decided to temporarily close the airport until security checks are completed. Although no immediate arrests have been reported, Russia's Federal Investigation Agency has opened a criminal investigation into the incident.
Sergei Melikov, the head of Dagestan, condemned the protest as a serious violation of the law while expressing his condolences to the victims affected by the actions of some individuals and politicians. He stressed the importance of not resorting to mob violence against unarmed individuals who have committed no prohibited conduct.
Leaders in other regions of the North Caucasus have called for calm following these protests, and the main Muslim cleric, or mufti, of Dagestan has issued a similar plea for peace.
In response to the escalating violence against Israeli and Jewish targets, Israel urged Russian authorities to protect Israelis and Jews living in their jurisdictions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attributed the events to Russia's culture of hatred against other nations, spread through state television, scientists and authorities. However, the Kremlin did not respond to these allegations.
