Russian media claims Syrian fighters in Azerbaijan ‘preparing for blitzkrieg on Armenia’

Russian media outlet Nezavisimaya published an article with the title “Syrian fighters in Azerbaijan prepare for blitzkrieg into Armenia”. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence made an announcement addressing this issue.

According to the article’s author, Vladimir Mukhin, “Around 500 Syrian fighters have been moved to Azerbaijan, mainly Turkmen from the Sultan Murad, Hamza, and Free Syrian Army divisions”. 

“Our sources confirm that the information has been checked and is most likely accurate. Recently there have been protests in Baku where the participants have called on Turkey ‘to save Azerbaijan from the Armenians and Russians’. Waving Turkish flags, they have been demanding that the government ‘set up a Turkish military base and take revenge for the fighting in July on the the Armenian-Azerbaijan border’”,  said the Nezavisimaya article.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence made a special announcement addressing the article. 

“We categorically deny the spurious allegations of that article that ‘There is already a de-facto Turkish military base in Nakhchivan, supported by military aircraft’, or that ‘Around 500 Syrian fighters have been moved to Azerbaijan, mainly Turkmens’”.

All the arguments made therein, including those about the supposed movement of fighters from Syria to Azerbaijan are obvious disinformation and have absolutely no relation to the truth. The article is an obvious set-up, deliberate and libellous. 

The ministry of defence officially states that there are no foreign military bases in the country and no other illegal formations of armed forces. 

The defence department of Azerbaijan pointed up that the article was a set-up and also expressed their own opinion on Armenia’s decision to institute an armed militia.

• Bill in Armenia proposes formation of ‘militia’ to ‘repel potential attacks’

“We would recommend Nezavisimaya focus its attention on the amendments to the Armenian law On Defence, which were passed with a public forum of the Armenian people.

This law would allow Armenia, with its major issues with mobile resources, to create a so-called armed militia on a volunteer basis, where even people as old as 70 could serve.

It is not inconceivable to predict that this legislation would lead Armenia to legalize using terrorists and mercenaries from conflict areas in the Middle East, such as Syria and Lebanon, to build up its army, under the guise of a people’s militia”, stated the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence.