Slogan-shouting 'vandalism group' storms Azerbaijan's London embassy

Eight men have been arrested for storming the Azerbaijan Embassy in London, according to British media, with videos purportedly showing a group of men waving a blue flag that is linked to a Shia group.

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that people who "shouted radical religious slogans on the balcony" were taken out of the building and detained by police earlier in the day.

"(After) Entering the building of the embassy, the members of the vandalism group raised religious flags and shouted radical religious slogans on the balcony of the building. 

"After the intervention of the local police, the group members were taken out of the building and detained," the ministry said in a statement.

The storming of the building has been linked to a Shia Muslim group, the Mahdi Servants Union headed by cleric Yasser Al Habib, and social media videos showed the intruders waving their "distinctive blue flag". 

The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry statement added that embassy employees were not injured in the attack and the incident was being investigated by law enforcement agencies.

"In accordance with the Vienna Convention, a warning regarding the security of diplomats and diplomatic premises has been brought to the attention of UK authorities through diplomatic channels," it stressed.

And later on Friday, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry summoned the UK charge d'affaires.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu conveyed his sympathies to his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ceyhun Bayramov. over the attack.

In a written statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, it was emphasised that Türkiye was ready to provide all kinds of support to the Azerbaijani authorities.