Religious extremists threaten participants in upcomingEurovisionSong Contest in Baku

Baku, April 12, Interfax - Religious extremists have claimed responsibility for recent attempts to commit terrorist attacks in Ganca and some other cities and regions of Azerbaijan and threatened to attack participants in the EurovisionSong Contest to take place in Baku in May 2012.

"Vugar Padarov has become the first man on Azeri territory to perform Istishhad [act of self-sacrifice] in his homeland," the website Ummanews.ru said.

The Azeri National Security Ministry reported earlier that Padarov was killed in a special operation in Ganca last week.

A number of media reported that Padarov had blown himself up along with a lieutenant-colonel of the Azeri National Security Ministry when security forces started storming an apartment in a house in Ganca where the gunmen were hiding.

Some author who introduced himself as Muslim threatened participants in the upcomingEurovisionSong Contest in Baku in an article published on Ummanews.ru.

"Eurovisionis a nightmare for all Muslims. The forces of the Devil, perverts and homosexuals from across the world should not think that they can so easily come to the land on which blood of faithful Muslims was shed and behave any way they want. They will certainly be attacked," the author says.

"NoMossad, MI6, CIA, NSM [National Security Ministry] or other three-letter organization can protect them from punishment they deserve," he said.

"The operation that has been carried out [terror attack attempts] and of which the entire world has learned is just an advertisement of brave Azeri Muslims' abilities," who will not miss "such a chance to deal with targets eligible for destruction," the author said.

It was reported earlier that the Azeri National Security Ministry detained 17 members of illegal armed groups in special operations in Baku, Sumqayit, and Ganca, and in the Qax, Zaqatala, Saki, and Qusar districts last week. These people are suspected of planning terrorist attacks and other illegal actions.

The group members in Ganca offered armed resistance to law enforcement officers, and therefore one terrorist was killed, one more injured, and two detained, the ministry said. A National Security Ministry lieutenant-colonel was also killed and three other officers wounded in the operation in Ganca, it said.