Azerbaijan says it thwarts terror plot against government, diplomats
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The National Security Ministry said Monday it had thwarted a radical Islamic group's plot to conduct a "large-scale horrifying terror attack" against government structures and diplomatic missions in the Azerbaijan capital, Baku.
It said that one suspect was killed and several others were detained in a weekend sweep outside the capital.
The British Embassy in Baku closed temporarily and the US Embassy scaled back its operations in response to the threat.
The ministry said in a statement that the radical Islamic group included an army lieutenant who had stolen 20 hand grenades, a machine gun, four assault rifles and ammunition from his military unit and made them available for the planned attack.