Security developments in Azerbaijan: Arrest of people accused of attempting to steal fuel and an accident in an ammunition warehouse

This came at a time when the security services and emergency services rushed to cordon off another incident at an ammunition warehouse in the Goranboy district in the west of the country, without recording any human casualties.

The security sources explained that the suspects, according to their testimony, were surprised by a violent explosion and the outbreak of a fire while they were trying to open the pipeline to steal fuel, as the force of the blast wave pushed them back.

The Ministry confirmed that the defendants provided full confessions of their actions, which exposes them to a penalty of up to 12 years in prison on charges of theft and causing serious damage to public property and infrastructure.

In a related context, the Azerbaijani Ministries of Emergency, Interior and Defense confirmed, in a joint statement, complete control over the situation in an ammunition warehouse near the village of “Nizami” in Goranboy district, where a night incident occurred on August 2, resulting in a fire.

The official authorities indicated that video footage of secondary explosions was monitored at the site, which required immediate and urgent measures to be taken by the competent authorities in close coordination with the local authorities.

As a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of citizens, residents living in the areas adjacent to the ammunition depot were evacuated. The authorities stressed that the incident did not result in any human casualties, and that the security and environmental situation is under complete control, while investigations continue to reveal the exact circumstances and causes of this incident.