Azerbaijani authorities have detained and repatriated a group of citizens allegedly involved in international terrorist activities.

The State Security Service (SSS) undertook a series of intricate operations and investigations, working closely with international intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

The investigation concerns the formation of criminal gangs linked to international terrorist organizations, with plots to carry out terrorist acts inside Azerbaijan, including the establishment of underground shelters in forested areas of the country’s northern regions. These sites were reportedly used to stockpile weapons, ammunition, explosives, and technical equipment.

According to the SSS, citizens Vugar Najafli, Jamal Gozalov, Tofig Yusifli, and Dadash Hashimov left Azerbaijan in 2024 and sought refuge in mountainous areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where they participated in combat training and armed conflicts. The group is said to have operated under the umbrella of an international terrorist organization, receiving training for criminal and terrorist purposes.

Through joint operations with foreign partners, the suspects were located abroad, apprehended, and subsequently extradited to Azerbaijan.

Investigators also determined that the terrorist activities of Yusifli and Hashimov were financially supported by Azerbaijani citizens Mir Javad Huseynli and Tural Agayev, who were also found to be involved in other criminal activities.

All six individuals—Najafli, Gozalov, Yusifli, Hashimov, Huseynli, and Agayev—have been charged under several articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code, including:

• Article 214-1 (Financing of terrorism)
• Article 283-1.3 (Participation in armed training and promoting religious hostility under the guise of religious rites abroad)
   

A court has ruled to detain the suspects pending trial. The investigation remains ongoing, with additional operational measures currently underway.

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