BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 3. The employees of the State Security Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs carried out joint complex measures in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan to identify terrorist provocative actions and suppress illegal activities of members of radical religious extremist groups associated with international terrorist organizations, the joint statement of the State Security Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs said, Trend reports.
“As a result of conducted operational and investigative measures, it was established that previously convicted for participation in the activities of the terrorist group “Forest Brothers” (“Meşə qardaşları”) Gadir Hajiyev entered into criminal ties with residents of Gusar district - Kamran Kerimkhanov, Umud Gulaliyev, Valerik Adilov, Riyad Safaraliyev, Rovshan Lachinov, Nazim Zakiyev, and others.
In addition, it was established that they had jointly prepared terrorist acts in the territory of the Gusar district, created underground shelters in the forest area comprising the villages of Khil, Jibir, and Yasab in that district, and supplied those shelters with ammunition, explosives, technical devices, and other necessary supplies.
Initially, following the location of a member of the group, Alipasha Kamilov, an operation was conducted to involve him in the investigation. During the operation, in a hidden location in the town of Gusar, Kamilov put up armed resistance to the special forces by throwing two RPG-78 grenades. As a result, one of the special forces officers was wounded, and Alipasha Kamilov was neutralized.
As a result of ongoing operational search and investigative measures, secret hideouts were discovered in a wooded area near the village of Jibir, where members of an illegal armed group - Gadir Hajiyev, Riyad Safaraliyev, Valerik Adilov, and Umud Gulaliyev - were hiding. Those who put up armed resistance were destroyed by the use of explosive devices.
During an inspection of the shelters found, peat, acetone, detonators, remote-controlled explosive devices, rebar and lead parts used as shrapnel, two Kalashnikov assault rifles, three hunting rifles, ammunition and bullets for the rifles, and a flag bearing the symbol of an illegal armed group recognized as an international terrorist organization were seized.
Moreover, the immediate measures taken found that Nazim Zakiyev, one of the members of the terrorist group, was hiding on a farm near the village of Khil and that Kamran Kerimkhanov and Rovshan Lachinov were hiding on the territory of the village of Khil. They were neutralized when they offered armed resistance to law enforcement officers.
The investigation revealed details and evidence concerning the circle of persons involved in the criminal organization, its organizational structure, equipment, and plans.
Etibar Ahmadov, who had illegally obtained ammonium nitrate, flammable peat, detonators, and flame-conducting cords, used them to make improvised explosive devices and hid them in the motel guest house in the town of Gusar and on the roof of a nearby car wash. While continuing his activities, Akhmedov was injured when these devices exploded.
Also, reasonable suspicions were revealed about the participation of residents of Gusar district Sharafeddin Mahmudov, Etibar Ahmadov, and others in the activities of an armed formation not provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including equipping this armed formation with explosives and other supplies.
Members of the above-mentioned criminal group - Etibar Ahmadov, Ragim Mirzabekov, David Rashidov, Sharafeddin Makhmudov, Abugul Babaev, and Elchin Alirzaev were prosecuted under Articles 28, 214.2.1, 28, 214.2.3, and 28, 214.2.6 (preparation for terrorism motivated by religious enmity, religious radicalism, and religious fanaticism with the use of firearms and objects used as weapons, in the form of a criminal group (criminal organization)) and other articles of the Criminal Code of the AR. By court decision, a measure of restraint in the form of arrest was chosen against them.
Currently, investigative and operational activities in criminal cases continue.