Azerbaijani security forces break up terror plot, detain two suspects

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

The suspects, identified as Georgian citizen Agil Aslanov and Azerbaijani national Jeyhun Ismayilov, were apprehended after a series of targeted operations by the SSS, the agency told Caliber.Az.

Aslanov, who had prior involvement in drug smuggling, was recruited by foreign operatives to carry out the attack.

In September 2024, while travelling through a third country, Aslanov met with members of that country’s special services. During this meeting, the operatives showed him photographs of a prominent member of an Azerbaijani religious community and offered Aslanov a staggering reward of $200,000 for the individual's assassination.

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.

By Tamilla Hasanova