Dagestan is the most religious, populous and complex of all the north Caucasian republics.
It is double the size of Chechnya and consists of several dozen ethnic groups, most with their own language.
The conflict in Dagestan, however, is not between ethnic groups but between Sufism, a syncretic form of Islam which includes local customs and recognises the state, and Salafism, a more traditional form which rejects secular rule and insists that the Salafist interpretation of Islam should govern all spheres of life.

Dagestan has the highest levels of violence and extremism in the North Caucasus republics.
The Russian Interior Ministry stated that of the 399 terrorist crimes committed in the North Caucasus in 2013, 242 were in Dagestan.

By 2017, all subversive and terrorist groups operating in Dagestan were eliminated.
Dagestan is the most religious, populous and complex of all the north Caucasian republics. It is double the size of Chechnya and consists of several dozen ethnic groups, most with their own language. The conflict in Dagestan, however, is not between ethnic groups but between Sufism, a syncretic form of Islam which includes local customs and recognises the state, and Salafism, a more traditional form which rejects secular rule and insists that the Salafist interpretation of Islam should govern all spheres of life.
Dagestan has the highest levels of violence and extremism in the North Caucasus republics. The Russian Interior Ministry stated that of the 399 terrorist crimes committed in the North Caucasus in 2013, 242 were in Dagestan.
By 2017, all subversive and terrorist groups operating in Dagestan were eliminated.
Insurgency in the North Caucasus