War. What is it good for? Making unsubstantiated claims about your opponents. Say it again! As the military forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to clash over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region – a conflict that began on Sunday and has motivated even Kim Kardashian to wade in with criticism of Azerbaijan – the countries’ governments accused each other of employing Syrian militants on the battlefield despite offering no proof. First, Armenia’s ambassador to Russia, Vardan Toganyan, claimed: ‘Based on our information, about 4,000 militants have been transported by Turkey from Syria to Azerbaijan recently.’ Then, not only did the Azeri government, which has close ties with Turkey, deny the allegations, but it also threw them straight back from Baku. Colonel Vagif Dargyahly, the head of the Defense Ministry’s communications, claimed that the Armenian body count includes ‘a significant amount of ethnic Armenian mercenaries from Syria and different Middle East nations.’ Neither, however, provided a shred of evidence. If either side’s claims are true, the most remarkable aspect would be finding 4,000 Syrian fighters who aren’t already otherwise occupied.
Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict | Armenians & Azeris accuse each others of using Syrian fighters
