Azerbaijan Foils Planned Attack on Israeli Embassy in Baku

Azerbaijan’s State Security Service said it has foiled a planned terrorist attack targeting the Israeli Embassy in Baku, arresting three Azerbaijani citizens suspected of preparing the assault.

The case was made public one day after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar visited Azerbaijan at the head of a large business delegation. Azerbaijani authorities said the suspects were acting on the basis of religious hostility and maintained ties with Islamic State’s Khorasan Province, known as ISIS-K.

According to the Azerbaijan State Security Service, the three suspects were detained as they approached the area of the embassy while preparing to carry out an attack. Officials said the operation itself took place months ago, though the exact timing was not disclosed publicly.

In its statement, the security service said the suspects “conspired with members of ISIS, obtained weapons and planned to attack a foreign embassy before they were caught by security forces.” Authorities cited “preparation for terrorism on the grounds of religious hostility” as the basis for the arrests.

The suspects were identified as Guliyev Oglu, Piriev Oglu, Alizade Oglu. Azerbaijani officials said the three maintained criminal links with members of ISIS-K and, as a group, acquired items intended for use as weapons. 

A court has extended the suspects’ detention, and the investigation remains ongoing. Authorities said the men are expected to be charged with preparing a terrorist attack, conspiracy, and offenses related to the use of objects intended as weapons.

ISIS-K, the Afghan-based offshoot of the Islamic State terror organization, claimed responsibility for the March 2024 attack at Crocus City Hall near Moscow, which left at least 145 people dead. In recent years, the group has been linked to a series of foiled plots across Russia and Central Asia, including several targeting diplomatic or religious sites.

In a separate case referenced by Azerbaijani authorities, a court last October sentenced a man affiliated with ISIS-K to 13 years in prison after convicting him of plotting an attack on a synagogue in Baku using a Molotov cocktail in December 2024.

Azerbaijan is a secular South Caucasus country of roughly 10 million people, bordering Russia and Iran, with a predominantly Muslim population that is largely Shiite. In recent years, its security services have repeatedly acted against suspected Islamist terror cells operating inside the country.

The Israeli Embassy in Baku is considered one of the most sensitive and heavily guarded sites in Azerbaijan. Any unusual activity in the surrounding area is closely monitored by local security forces, and officials say heightened vigilance around diplomatic missions will continue as the investigation proceeds.