3 killed in mosque explosion

An explosion occurred at the Abu Bakr Mosque in Baku during evening prayers on 17 August 2008. Three people were killed and 11 were injured in the incident, which occurred at approximately 2150 local time. An eyewitness reported that an unidentified man had thrown two grenades into the building. It is not known if the incident was terror-related; the members of the targeted mosque are known to be predominantly Wahabbi, a strict sect of Sunni Islam, which has been strongly associated with global terrorism. The majority of Azeris are moderate Shiite. At least one government official has speculated that the attack was aimed at increasing socio-political tensions ahead of the October 2008 presidential election.