Azerbaijan foils terrorist plot against religious community member; two suspects arrested

A terrorist attack targeting a prominent member of a religious community in Azerbaijan was successfully foiled by the country's State Security Service (SSS), which apprehended two individuals involved in the plot.

The suspects, Georgian citizen Agil Aslanov and Azerbaijani national Jeyhun Ismayilov, were detained following a series of targeted operations, the SSS said in a statement, News.Az reports.

Aslanov, with a history of involvement in drug smuggling, was recruited by foreign operatives to carry out the assassination.

In September 2024, while traveling through a third country, Aslanov met with members of that country’s special services, who offered him $200,000 to assassinate the Azerbaijani religious figure.

Aslanov’s mission began with an initial request to gather intelligence on the target. For this, he was paid a $2,000 advance. Aslanov and his accomplice Ismayilov travelled to Baku to further investigate the target. The two men meticulously gathered information on the individual’s whereabouts, including his residence and workplace, and transmitted the data through a mobile app to a representative of the foreign special service.

The SSS, acting swiftly on intelligence, intercepted their plans and detained the pair before they could carry out the attack. A criminal case has been opened against Aslanov and Ismayilov under multiple charges, including Articles 28, 214.2.1, 274, 276. The court has ordered that both suspects remain in custody as the investigation continues.

News.Az