Baku (TDI): Azerbaijani security forces have arrested three men accused of planning an attack on a foreign embassy in the capital, Baku, acting on instructions from Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), authorities said on Tuesday.
In a statement, the State Security Service said the suspects had established links with members of ISIS-K, acquired weapons, and were preparing to carry out an attack before being intercepted by law enforcement agencies. The authorities did not disclose which country’s embassy was the intended target.
The three suspects were identified by name, with one born in 2000 and the other two in 2005. They have been charged with preparing acts of terrorism motivated by religious extremism, and investigations are continuing, the statement added.
ISIS-K, also known as Islamic State Khorasan Province, is the Afghanistan-based affiliate of Islamic State and has been linked to a number of high-profile attacks in recent years. The group claimed responsibility for the March 2024 assault on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall, which killed at least 145 people.
Read More: National Mourning Day in Azerbaijan: A Moment of Profound Sadness and Pride
Several suspected ISIS-linked plots have been foiled across Central Asia and parts of Russia, where the organization is designated as a terrorist group.
Azerbaijan, a secular South Caucasus nation of around 10 million people bordering Russia and Iran, has a predominantly Muslim population, the majority of whom are Shia.
In a separate case last October, an Azerbaijani court sentenced an ISIS-K affiliate to 13 years in prison after convicting him of planning an attack on a synagogue in Baku using a Molotov cocktail.
Read More: The Ever-Growing Bond Between Pakistan and Azerbaijan
Formed in 2015 by splinter factions from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Al Qaeda, and former Afghan Taliban fighters, ISIS-K has its roots in eastern Afghanistan but maintains networks in parts of Pakistan, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The group has been blamed for several deadly attacks in Pakistan in recent years, including assaults on mosques, political rallies, and religious institutions.
