Azerbaijani border guards open fire on ship in Caspian Sea, Iranian national killed

The Azerbaijani State Border Service has announced that on May 1 at 21:55, the Main Command and Control Center of the Coast Guard detected an unidentified high-speed vessel moving rapidly 0.3 miles from the shore in the direction of Salyan Bay in the Caspian Sea.

According to the Azerbaijani media, the vessel was classified as suspicious due to its speed and proximity to Azerbaijan’s territorial waters.

At 22:40, the patrol crew issued verbal warnings through light and sound signals, followed by a warning shot. The individuals on board failed to comply and attempted to flee the area.

In response, the coast guard used firearms to stop the vessel. Both individuals on board were injured during the incident. One of them died.

The other is currently receiving treatment at a medical facility.

Inspection of the intercepted high-speed liner-type boat revealed 33.075 kilograms of marijuana, two “Garmin” GPS devices, and one “Thuraya” satellite phone.

Preliminary investigation identified the border violators as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran: