Special Operation Against Shiite in the Azerbaijani Nardaran

• 12.02.2015, 10:54
•  Region

With the decree of the of the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his personal supervision on December 1, 08:00 a.m. the Interior Ministry's forces started special operation at about 30 kilometers from Baku, in the Azerbaijani Shiite village of Nardaran, aiming at establishing order and confiscating weapons, explosives and detonating equipment from the residents.

There is also an order to take up immediate steps against those who would resist the forces carrying out the special operation.

Nardaran village is surrounded by law enforcement forces, internal troops, who are patrolling the streets of the village. Special military equipment has been deployed.

Natig Karimov, the Chairman of the city Council told "Trend" that interior troops, employees of Interior Ministry and policemen during the operation were in Nardaran and did not allow anyone to leave their homes. No one had any connection with the outside world, the telephone was disconnected.

It is noted that the reason for the internal forces to enter Nardaran was closing the Mashtagha-Nardaran highway by the residents. The protesters are demanding the return of the bodies of 5 people killed during clashes with police. Natig Karimov expressed concern that the military may secretly bury the bodies of people killed.

On November 27, the Azerbaijani police during the noon prayer entered the Shiite "Imam Hussein" mosque in Nardaran, arrested Shiite leader Thaler Bagherzdein and 14 other believers. The actions of the police angered the residents of Nardaran and clashes between them and the police started. 5 residents and two policemen were killed. After several days, clashes between Islamists and police started in Ganja, Lankaran and other cities.

Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry and Prosecutor General's Office have issued a statement regarding the incident, which said that the Shiite leaders plan to change the constitutional order with violence and apply new rules of Sharia, with the aim of which they want to create a "Muslim unity" movement. Recruitment of people has already started from Baku and other regions, supplying them with weapons and explosives.