Azerbaijani troops have reportedly been put on combat alert and deployed to the border with Iran, the independent media outlet Qazetchi has reported, citing sources. The move comes as the US–Israel war against Iran entered its fourth day, with countries across the region being drawn into the fighting.
According to information confirmed to Qazetchi from anonymous sources, ‘the Ministry of Defence, the State Border Service, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Emergency Situations have gone into high alert mode’.
The Defence Ministry has not confirmed or denied the information, nor responded to requests for comment from OC Media.
Qazetchi wrote that ‘the vacations of soldiers, warrant officers, and officers’ have been cancelled. Officers on leave have reportedly been recalled. Defence systems against drones and low-flying aircraft have been deployed on the border with Iran’.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
Opposition politician Yadigar Sadigli told OC Media that it was normal for Azerbaijan to build up defence forces along the border.
‘The head of state, of course, must take certain precautions, undertake certain steps, and if they have taken them, I think that’s normal. A lot can happen. Tomorrow, chaos could arise, some kind of a military unit commander could take action independently’, Sadigli said, adding that it was ‘perfectly natural’ for a neighbouring country to put their military forces on high alert.
‘Let’s say a missile could evade its target and hit Azerbaijan, but it could be something else’, Sadigli noted, adding that ‘it’s especially important to bring air defence forces to basic combat readiness. Aviation [support] must also be in place, and, of course, ground forces must also be ready’.
Some military experts have noted that Qazetchi should not have shared the information, citing state security concerns. Others, however, supported the information, questioning how people could otherwise explain recent instances of shooting in an Azerbaijani district bordering Iran.
As tensions in Azerbaijan rose surrounding Iran’s attack on other Muslim countries, the Japanese embassy in Azerbaijan firstly stated that they suspended their operation due to an unknown period, which sparked discussions about possible attacks and threats on social media.
Later, the embassy denied that it had suspended its operations in Azerbaijan, saying that only the consular section was temporarily closed on Monday and Tuesday.
‘While there is currently no information about any specific threats, to ensure the safety of visitors in light of the tense situation in the Middle East, only the consular section was temporarily closed’, stated the embassy.
Others, however, cited differing reasons for the troop buildup, with Talysh human rights defender Hilal Mammadov suggesting on social media that the army deployment could ‘perhaps be to prevent the influx of refugees’.
‘If ground troops are deployed against Iran, it is obvious that this will lead to even more terrible consequences: undoubtedly, not only millions of people will join this struggle, but tens of thousands of children and women will be forced to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, including ours. Undoubtedly, in this case, we will also have to provide all possible assistance to the Iranian people’.
