New hotbed up north

Criminal gangs in Balakan and Zagatala, Azerbaijan's provinces bordering on Georgia and Dagestan, Russia, seem to have stepped up their activity, as unidentified gunmen assailed a local interior troops unit in Zagatala on July 30 killing Captain Bakir Valiyev and wounding private Shohrat Rahimov. Shortly afterwards, The incident was followed by an explosion of the monument to Sheik Shamil in Zagatala and burning of 5 villagers' cattle sheds last weekend.

In the early hours of Sunday, an armed gang stormed the Zagatala police department wounding deputy police chief Major Shakir Valiyev, Captain Zeynur Gadirov, Senior Lieutenant Arzu Abdullayev, Lieutenant Ragub Husseinov, and Sergeant Ahmad Amirov.

The wounded were immediately rushed to hospital. Sh. Valiyev and other policemen told ANS TV that they know the assailants.

The Interior Ministry and Prosecutor's office claim to have identified who blew up the monument. They are believed to be the wanted members of the gang that assaulted the Interior Ministry unit. Four of the assailants have been arrested, with 18 kg of explosives and 25 detonators detected and impounded in a local school.

Top interior officers, prosecutors and national security agents have been sent to the region. Commenting on the incident, minister for national security Namiq Abbasov said this was yet another attempt to destabilize the situation in the north of Azerbaijan.

"But let me reiterate that the intentions of those trying to destabilize the situation in the country will remain futile", he said.

Public sentiments on what has been happening in the north of the country vary a lot, with some experts hinting at Russia's involvement. This opinion is brushed off by a renowned political analyst Rasim Musabayov. "No doubt the explosion of the monument was intended to inflame tensions in the region. Yet, it is hard to argue that Russia has a hand in this as it is already fed up with the conflict in the breakaway Chechnya and would not benefit from extra border tensions.