Azernews.Az

BAKU – Israel closed its embassy in Azerbaijan on Monday, in a move that unconfirmed reports said could be linked to its government’s recent warning about the threat of terror attacks against Israelis abroad.

But the embassy did not confirm the reports, with Ambassador Michael Lavon-Lotem saying the diplomatic mission suspended its work for technical reasons and will resume it as soon as all outstanding issues are resolved.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry is unaware of the embassy’s suspension. Its spokesman, Elkhan Polukhov, said the ministry has not received any formal notification to that end.

Israel’s Counter Terrorism Bureau issued a warning last Friday cautioning Israelis against traveling to eight countries, including Azerbaijan, due to "the increased threat of terror attacks". It said that travels to Egypt, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Cote d'Ivoire, Mauritania and Venezuela should be avoided. The warning came in anticipation of threats resulting from the anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah officials Imad Mughniyah and Abbas al-Masawi, both of which were allegedly perpetrated by Israel. Israelis were also discouraged from traveling in the near future to hotspots in which there is a high concentration of Israelis, and strongly advised adhering to security guidelines from local authorities.

Hezbollah blames Israel for assassinating al-Masawi, the then secretary-general of Hezbollah, in 1992 and the group’s military commander Imad Mughniyah in 2008. Israel has denied any role in Mughniyah’s assassination. Since Mughniyah’s killing, Hezbollah fighters have attempted to stage terror acts against Jews outside Israel.

Meanwhile, the United States has issued another warning to its citizens over an alleged threat of terror attacks in Azerbaijan, according to the website of the US embassy in Baku. The State Department said that based on "terrorist threat information", the likelihood of such attacks remains high.

The warning followed similar security alerts issued in late January by the US and British governments, though the statements did not detail the gist of the threat or who could pose it.

Keith Bean, the spokesman for the US embassy in Baku, said the diplomatic mission is operating as before, but the U.S. is working with the Azerbaijani government to ensure that security is provided at the top level.

Bean sidestepped a question about the nature of the alleged terror threat and the source of such information. "But we believe that the threat is real and call on US citizens to be vigilant."

However, Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies said there were no grounds for concern.

"Azerbaijan is one of the countries ensuring its stability," Interior Ministry spokesman Sadig Gozalov said. "This is the view of not only Azerbaijani citizens but is also the conclusion of diplomatic missions, foreign investors. But no country, and superpowers are no exception, are insured against terror."

Gozalov said the security of all diplomatic missions based in Azerbaijan is reliably protected.

National Security Ministry spokesman Arif Babayev said the required pre-emptive steps are being taken to counter possible threats to Azerbaijan’s national security.

The ruling Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party (YAP) earlier called on the U.S. to explain on what grounds the statements concerning a terror threat were made, saying social and political stability is observed in Azerbaijan.