Explosion hits Abu Bekir Mosque, Azerbaijan - UPDATED

August 18

16:30

Day.Az reports with reference to AzerTag that the Ministries of International Affairs and National Security, as well as the prosecutor general's office of Azerbaijan have released a statement related to the explosion in the Abu-Bekir mosque, according to which an unknown threw an explosive substance to the window of the mosque, locating at Bunyadzade street, at about 20.50 on August 17, which resulted in death of 2 people and injured 11.

The leading officials of the Ministries of Internal Affairs and National Security, as well as prosecutor general's office came to the spot. An operative search group of specialized officials of the abovementioned structures was created.

A criminal proceeding was instituted under articles 120.2.4 (deliberale murder, committed with special brutalty), 120.2.7 (deliberate murder of two and more persons), 228 (illegal purchase, transfer, sale, storing, transportation or carrying guns, spare parts, ammunitions, explosive substances) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

The incident was taken under a special control of the country's president. The operative search is going on and due measures are taken to bring the criminals to responsibility.

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15:15

The US embassy to Azerbaijan made a statement related to the explosion in the Abu-Bekir Mosque Monday.

According to Novosti-Azerbaijan, the statement, received from the press service of the US embassy, condemns the attack on the Mosque.

"We share the grief of the families of those who died in an explosion. We do hope that the Azerbaijani government will take all steps to bring those, who committed this crime, to responsibility", says the statement.

According to it, Azerbaijan has long been famous as a tolerant country.

"We express our solidarity with the people of Azerbaijan".

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14:57

A criminal proceeding under articles 120.2.4. and 120.2.7 "deliberate murder" of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan Republic was instituted on the case of explosion, which occurred at the Abu-Bekir Mosque on August 14, said investigator of Baku city prosecutor's office on special cases Akif Rzayev, according to Novosti-Azerbaijan.

He also noted that 2 people died in the moment of explosion and one more person died of wounds today.

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13:41

According to Novosti-Azerbaijan, it was confirmed that 2 grenades were exploded.

Currently, the mosque is shutdown and surrounded by law enforcement officers. No one has been detained so far.

Investigator of Narimanov district prosecutor's office Akif Rzayev announced that the identity of the second person, killed by an explosion, has also been defined. This is 22-year-old Rashad Ismaylov.

Ministers of Internal Affairs and National Security Ramil Usubov and Eldar Mahmudov arrived on the spot at 23:45 yesterday. Head of the State Committee for work with regional formations Hidayat Orujev and deputy Minister of Emergency Sutuations Faik Taghizade arrived on the spot today.

The investigation continues.

Witnesses state that the grenades were dropped by one and the same man in black, who escaped from the spot.

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13:15

Investigation on the case of explosion in Abu-Bekir Mosque in the Azerbaijani capital has been transferred to the Baku prosecutor's office, according to a source in the prosecutor's office of the capital city, Interfax-Azerbaijan reports.

"The investigation has been transferred from the prosecutor's office of the Narimanov district of Baku, where the Mosque is situated, to the Baku prosecutor's office by the decision of prosecutor general Zakir Qaralov", said prosecutor of Baku prosecutor's office Ramir Rzayev.

He noted that the investigators of the Baku prosecutor's office work on the spot and preliminary information on explosion will come out later today.

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10:56

Day.Az reports with reference to ANS-Press that Vagif Abdullayev, born in 1955, died in the result of explosion in Abu-Bekir mosque. The identity of the second victim-22-year-old young man, has not been defined yet.

As is noted, the explosion wounded Sahib Khasiyev (1976), Rashad Jamalov (1985), Dashqin Ibrahimov (1984), Rashad Ismaylov (1984), Vuqar Salakhov (1983) and Ruslan Safaraliyev (1982).

Moreover, it was noted that Abu-Bekir Mosque Imam Hamet Suleymanov was wounded in the leg and he signed out after 2 sutures were placed on his wound.

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10:29

Two people died and several were injured in an explosion of a grenade in the Mosque in Baku, states representative for Azerbaijan's Ministry of Internal Affairs Ehsan Zahidov, according to BBC.

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10:26

Two people died in the result of explosions, said people, who came to practice Namaz in the Mosque. The number of wounded is said to have reached 9.

In line with unchecked information, an attempted murder was committed against Mosque leader Hamet Suleymanov. The sources told Day.Az correspondent that Suleymanov was wounded in the explosion.

Though people ran after a person, who dropped the grenade, he managed to escape.

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August 17

22:23

Prayer time explosion in Abu Bekir Mosque in the capital of Azerbaijan injured several people at about 09.00 pm on August 17. The APA correspondent at the site reports that nobody was killed in grenade attack. Five had serious injuries and were taken to hospital.

Witnesses said two grenades were thrown into the mosque. The Ministry of Emergencies has sent special troops to the site.

Witnesses said there were about 500 people in the mosque during the blast.

An old man and a child reportedly died after explosion.
According to unconfirmed reports, the mosque’s Imam Hajji Gamet Suleymanov also had slight injury.

Abu Bekir Mosque was known as a place where whabbists gathered for prayer.

Day.Az, APA