Join statement of Interior Ministry and General Prosecutor’s Office on incident in Nardaran settlement

Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry and Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan has made a joint statement on the armed incident in Baku’s Nardaran settlement Nov.26, APA reports.

According to the statement, information received by the Interior Ministry about the gang operating under the guise of religion and planning to destabilize situation, commit mass clashes and terrorist attacks in the country was confirmed through investigation which made it necessary to take urgent measures.

The investigation found that Taleh Bagirov, Elman Aghayev, Zulfugar Mikayilov and Abulfaz Bunyatov established the movement “Muslim unity” with the aim of changing the constitutional order of the state and creating a religious state governed by sharia law, said the statement. 

“The aforesaid persons have drawn supporters from Baku and other regions of the country, forming a criminal group and arming them with a variety of firearms, ammunition, and explosives. They have also arranged illegal gatherings in the suburb village of Nardaran, discussing how to raise the population against the government and instructing their followers and distributing to them pieces of paper. Concrete duties of each member of the gang as well as those instructed to commit terrorist acts against government officials have been determined,” said the statement. 

Taking all this into account, to arrest these persons the Interior Ministry conducted a special operation in Baku’s Nardaran settlement on Nov.26, according to the statement. 

“During the operation, the police were fired from automatic weapons and met armed resistance, and hand grenades were thrown on them. In response to the continuous firing of the attackers, the special operation group used service weapons, killing 4 members of the gang and leaving several injured,” the statement said. 

Despite the increase in the number of supporters of the gang at the site of the operation, the police performed their duties courageously and two police officers died heroically, said the statement. “As material evidence, weapons, hand grenades and side arms were seized from the scene. Some 14 members of the gang, headed by their leader Taleh Bagirov, were detained. Azerbaijan’s general prosecutor’s office initiated a criminal case on the fact.” 

Operational-search measures and investigative actions are underway to identify, prosecute and detain all participants of the crime, including the ones who helped the gang, said the statement.  

Local law enforcement agencies and special services of the country will continue to drastic measures for timely prevention of such incidents and the immediate neutralization of any organized criminal gang or criminal community.   

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