Azernews.Az

Azerbaijani law enforcers have identified the persons suspected of staging a recent explosion at a mosque in Baku.
13 suspects have been detained, the National Security Ministry said, describing them as radically-leaning individuals. The suspects, who come from Azerbaijan`s western Zagatala district, had been involved in illegal armed units in northern Caucasus.
The leaders of the ring, Ilgar Mollachiyev, a person nicknamed "Abdulmajid" who declared himself "The Emir of Daghestan [Russian republic] people", his brother-in-law Samir Mehdiyev, nicknamed "Suleyman", remain at large, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Two of the detainees, who come from the town of Sumgayit, testified about the activity of the ring and its plans. They said Mollachiyev and Mehdiyev had masterminded the deadly explosion at the Abu Bakr mosque.
Two hand grenades exploded at the mosque on August 17, killing two and injuring 18 others, including the imam of the mosque, Haji Gamat. The mosque serves, predominantly, followers of Wahhabism.
The detainees also said Mollachiyev, Mehdiyev and others had illegally crossed Azerbaijan`s border and settled down in the capital Baku and Sumgayit with the aid of their accomplices.
Mollachiyev was one of the leaders of the gang called "The Forest Brothers", most of whose members were seized by Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies in 2007. Another leader of the ring, Saudi Arabian citizen Nail Abdul Karim al-Bedevi, known under the "Abu Jafar" nickname, and 17 other individuals charged with setting up an illegal armed group linked to the Al-Qaeda and Al-Jihad terror groups, were handed down jail sentences at the Grave Crimes Court late in July. Al-Bedevi was convicted for 14 years in jail, while the other members of the group were handed down sentences of three to 12 years.
After members of the gang based in Sumgayit were arrested, Mollachiyev planned to restore the activity of the "The Forest Brothers" and masterminded terror acts, in an effort to disrupt socio-political stability in Azerbaijan, investigators said.
During an operation to nab the gang members, the ministry`s officers impounded large quantities of firearms and ammunition, explosives and communication devices, maps and other items.
According to law enforcers, the ring consisted of two groups. One of the groups, "the Sumgayit community", was to commit robberies in Baku and to acquire arms on account of the obtained funds, as well as to commit acts of terror. The other group, referred to as "The Guba and Gusar community", was to set up military camps in the woods.