On September 19, in the weekly 'Al-Naba' newsletter, Islamic State (IS) militants announced their first attacks in Azerbaijan.
The organization said in a statement that clashes broke out between IS militants and Azerbaijani security forces in Qusar, on the Russian border. Allegedly, eight Azerbaijani security forces members were killed and/or wounded during the firefight.
Although IS militants have released videos from Azerbaijan in previous years, the attack in Qusar is the first to be carried out by the group in Azerbaijani territory.
When the group's weapons were examined, two militants were seen carrying an AKM pattern assault rifle with an East German-style folding stock and an AK-74 assault rifle with a 45-round Molot magazine.
The militant on the left in the above photo (carrying an AKM pattern rifle) also has two Bulgarian-made Dunarit RGD-5 hand grenades on his waist.
Other militants participating in the attack appear to be armed with standard pump-action shotguns.
In general, the weapons and grenades used by the militants are widely available in both Azerbaijan and Russia. Although the organization’s small branch in the country has a limited arsenal, this attack may be a sign that its militants may soon launch more attacks in Azerbaijan after recent attacks in Russia.