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Azerbaijani authorities said they prevented an armed attack attempt in the city of Khankendi on Sunday, detaining an ethnic Armenian suspect after a confrontation that left both the attacker and a police officer wounded.
The Azerbaijan Ministry of Internal Affairs said Karen Avanesyan, 58, a Khankendi resident of Armenian origin, had retrieved weapons he had previously hidden in a forested area and attempted to approach a public event in the city. The cache included a Kalashnikov automatic rifle, four loaded magazines and five hand grenades.
When police attempted to stop Avanesyan, he threw three hand grenades and opened fire on security forces, according to the ministry statement. The suspect was wounded by police gunfire and taken into custody.
One police officer was also injured during the incident, authorities said. The Chief Prosecutor's Office and State Security Service have launched an investigation into the matter.
The incident occurred in Khankendi, located in the Karabakh region, which has been officially under Azerbaijani control following military operations in Sep. 2023 that led to the dissolution of the breakaway Karabakh republic.
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