Azerbaijan prosecutor general’s office launches probe into drone attack on Nakhchivan

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan has launched a criminal investigation into a drone attack that targeted civilian infrastructure in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on 5 March.

According to the office’s press service, the attack was carried out from the territory of Iran using two remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with explosive devices, Caliber.Az reports. 

Investigators determined that one of the drones crashed into the terminal building of Nakhchivan International Airport, while the second fell near an educational institution in the village of Shakarabad in Babak district.

The strike caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure, including the administrative building and operational facilities of the airport, and led to a disruption of airport activities. As a result, a civilian aircraft operating flight No. 264 on the Nakhchivan–Baku route was forced to return to Baku during the flight for safety reasons.

Four civilians were injured in the incident. The wounded include airport employees Reyhana Sabir gyzy Valiyeva (born in 1986), Zulfiqar Mammad oglu Zulfiqarli (born in 1996) and Mehdi Matlab oglu Asgarov (born in 1996), as well as Asad Vidadi oglu Jafarov (born in 1998), a passenger who had been waiting to board the aircraft.

All victims received medical assistance and are currently undergoing treatment in hospital.

The Prosecutor General’s Office said a criminal case has been opened under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code, with the investigation assigned to the office’s investigative department.

Prosecutors, together with other state authorities, have inspected the scene, collected material evidence and obtained preliminary statements from victims and witnesses. Relevant experts have also been involved in the investigation, while technical examinations are underway to determine the origin and flight path of the drones.

The Prosecutor General’s Office stated that the attack, which targeted civilians and strategic infrastructure, constitutes a serious violation of the norms and principles of international humanitarian law.

Investigative and operational measures in the criminal case are ongoing, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.

By Sabina Mammadli