Azerbaijan has concrete evidence proving the Armenian military’s use of terrorist fighters recruited from different parts of the Middle East, the country’s envoy said Tuesday.
According to the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Tokyo, Gürsel Ismayılzada, Armenia has been using terrorists from Lebanon, Syria and other parts of the Middle East against Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis.
“We have evidence proving the involvement of terrorists from different Middle Eastern countries. We have proof showing many Lebanese, Syrian and other terrorists have been fighting against Azerbaijan on behalf of Armenia,” the envoy said.
Azerbaijani Ambassador to Turkey Khazar Ibrahim had also said that Armenia brought terrorist groups, including the PKK and the so-called Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA), to the Nagorno-Karabakh region and provided them with weapons.
Armenia has been occupying some 21% of Azerbaijani territory for the past three decades in violation of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, which urge Yerevan to unconditionally withdraw its occupying forces.
Relations between Yerevan and Baku have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.
New clashes erupted on Sept. 27, and there have been two cease-fire attempts, which have been violated by Armenia, which has continued its attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces despite the truce.
