Deployment of middle east jihadists in OSCE region conflict zone is serious threat to international and regional security - Armenian MFA
02.11.2020,
10:42
Armenia’s ministry of foreign affairs released Sunday a statement in connection with deployment of terrorist fighters by Turkey and Azerbaijan in the region.
YEREVAN, November 2. /ARKA/. Armenia’s ministry of foreign affairs released Sunday a statement in connection with deployment of terrorist fighters by Turkey and Azerbaijan in the region.
The ministry says in its statement that on November 1, during the military actions the military units of the Artsakh Defense Army captured the second terrorist fighter involved by the Azerbaijani side in the military hostilities against Artsakh, who introduced himself as Yusuf Alaabet al-Hajji, a resident of the village of Ziyadiya in the Jisr al-Shughur region of Idlib province of Syria. It should be noted that another terrorist fighter was captured by the Artsakh Defense Army earlier on October 30 introducing himself as Mehrab Muhammad Al-Shkheir from the Syrian city of Hama.
The ministry says the Armenian side has repeatedly voiced out about the recruitment of foreign terrorist fighters and jihadists by Turkey from various "hot spots" in the Middle East, particularly from Libya and the areas under its control in Syria, and their subsequent transfer and deployment to the region with the purpose of committing atrocities against the people of Artsakh. The above-mentioned fact is not merely confirmed by the intelligence services of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries, a number of our partners and international community, but also by the direct testimonies of the terrorists.
“In their testimonies the above-mentioned terrorists provided detailed information about their recruitment process, the expected monthly payment for fighting against “kafirs” (infidels), the extra payment for the each beheaded “infidel”, as well as about their envisaged terroristic plans. The transfer of jihadists to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone reveals the intentions of the Turkish-Azerbaijani leadership to give the conflict an inter-religious character, the Armenian foreign ministry says in its statement.
“This is a completely new manifestation of expansion of terrorism, when foreign terrorist fighters and jihadists from the Middle East have been deployed to the conflict zone in the OSCE area; it is a serious threat to the international and regional security and stability.
Armenia will continue to undertake consistent steps in the fight against international terrorism, in that regard cooperating with all interested partners.”
Information Provided by Terrorists
Mehrab Muhammad Al Shkher was detained on October 31 on suspicion of the implementation of criminal acts under the Criminal Code articles on international terrorism, serious violations of international humanitarian law during armed conflicts and mercenarism. He arrived in Azerbaijan from Turkey at dawn on October 18. He, with a group of about 430 people, was driven through the mountains, through the villages, in which Turkish and Azeri servicemen and rocket and artillery guns were deployed. According to him, the Azerbaijani military instructed them to conquer an empty, in their words, Armenian village "but they did not go with us and instructed not to leave anyone alive, either military or civilian."
According to the testimony of another mercenary, Yusuf Alaabet al Gadzhi, $ 2,000 a month was promised to him for the fight against the "giavurs" (unbelievers) in Artsakh and another $ 100 "bonus" for each severed head of the enemy.
War in Artsakh
Since September 27, Azerbaijani troops have been carrying out military aggression along the entire length of the contact line in Artsakh, conducting artillery and rocket attacks, including against civilians and civilian infrastructures. Strikes were also carried out at civilian and military targets on the territory of Armenia.
The Azerbaijani side is supported by the Turkish Armed Forces and the foreign terrorist mercenaries recruited by it. The Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression encounters a decisive rebuff from the Armenian Armed Forces along the entire frontline.
According to the official reports on the Armenian side, Azerbaijan sustains huge losses in manpower. Its death toll since the beginning of the war is 6,997. Also 241UAVs, 16 helicopters and 25 aircraft have been downed as well as 669 armored vehicles and 6 TOS units have been destroyed since the beginning of war. More than 1,060 Armenian servicemen have been killed and several hundred people were wounded. As a result of the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan, 45 civilians were killed and 141 wounded in Artsakh.
Since the beginning of the war, there have been three attempts to establish a humanitarian ceasefire. All three agreements, which were reached on October 10 through the mediation of the Russian Federation, on October 17 through France and on October 25 through the mediation of the United States, were violated by Azerbaijan. -0-
The ministry says in its statement that on November 1, during the military actions the military units of the Artsakh Defense Army captured the second terrorist fighter involved by the Azerbaijani side in the military hostilities against Artsakh, who introduced himself as Yusuf Alaabet al-Hajji, a resident of the village of Ziyadiya in the Jisr al-Shughur region of Idlib province of Syria. It should be noted that another terrorist fighter was captured by the Artsakh Defense Army earlier on October 30 introducing himself as Mehrab Muhammad Al-Shkheir from the Syrian city of Hama.
The ministry says the Armenian side has repeatedly voiced out about the recruitment of foreign terrorist fighters and jihadists by Turkey from various "hot spots" in the Middle East, particularly from Libya and the areas under its control in Syria, and their subsequent transfer and deployment to the region with the purpose of committing atrocities against the people of Artsakh. The above-mentioned fact is not merely confirmed by the intelligence services of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries, a number of our partners and international community, but also by the direct testimonies of the terrorists.
“In their testimonies the above-mentioned terrorists provided detailed information about their recruitment process, the expected monthly payment for fighting against “kafirs” (infidels), the extra payment for the each beheaded “infidel”, as well as about their envisaged terroristic plans. The transfer of jihadists to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone reveals the intentions of the Turkish-Azerbaijani leadership to give the conflict an inter-religious character, the Armenian foreign ministry says in its statement.
“This is a completely new manifestation of expansion of terrorism, when foreign terrorist fighters and jihadists from the Middle East have been deployed to the conflict zone in the OSCE area; it is a serious threat to the international and regional security and stability.
Armenia will continue to undertake consistent steps in the fight against international terrorism, in that regard cooperating with all interested partners.”
Information Provided by Terrorists
Mehrab Muhammad Al Shkher was detained on October 31 on suspicion of the implementation of criminal acts under the Criminal Code articles on international terrorism, serious violations of international humanitarian law during armed conflicts and mercenarism. He arrived in Azerbaijan from Turkey at dawn on October 18. He, with a group of about 430 people, was driven through the mountains, through the villages, in which Turkish and Azeri servicemen and rocket and artillery guns were deployed. According to him, the Azerbaijani military instructed them to conquer an empty, in their words, Armenian village "but they did not go with us and instructed not to leave anyone alive, either military or civilian."
According to the testimony of another mercenary, Yusuf Alaabet al Gadzhi, $ 2,000 a month was promised to him for the fight against the "giavurs" (unbelievers) in Artsakh and another $ 100 "bonus" for each severed head of the enemy.
War in Artsakh
Since September 27, Azerbaijani troops have been carrying out military aggression along the entire length of the contact line in Artsakh, conducting artillery and rocket attacks, including against civilians and civilian infrastructures. Strikes were also carried out at civilian and military targets on the territory of Armenia.
The Azerbaijani side is supported by the Turkish Armed Forces and the foreign terrorist mercenaries recruited by it. The Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression encounters a decisive rebuff from the Armenian Armed Forces along the entire frontline.
According to the official reports on the Armenian side, Azerbaijan sustains huge losses in manpower. Its death toll since the beginning of the war is 6,997. Also 241UAVs, 16 helicopters and 25 aircraft have been downed as well as 669 armored vehicles and 6 TOS units have been destroyed since the beginning of war. More than 1,060 Armenian servicemen have been killed and several hundred people were wounded. As a result of the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan, 45 civilians were killed and 141 wounded in Artsakh.
Since the beginning of the war, there have been three attempts to establish a humanitarian ceasefire. All three agreements, which were reached on October 10 through the mediation of the Russian Federation, on October 17 through France and on October 25 through the mediation of the United States, were violated by Azerbaijan. -0-
