NAGORNYY KARABAKH DENIES MERCENARIES SERVE IN ITS ARMED FORCES
Arminfo
5 Sep 07
Yerevan, 5 September: The Nagornyy Karabakh defence army is capable
of ensuring its people’s security on its own, Lt-Col Senor Hasratyan,
the defence minister of the Nagornyy Karabakh republic [NKR], has
told Arminfo.
The Azerbaijani press – APA news agency and Day.az – have reported
that the Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Naser Hamidi-Zare’ had
said that he had no information about Iranian citizens serving in
the armed force of Nagornyy Karabakh.
Hasratyan categorically denied reports that foreigners, including
Iranians, may be serving in the NKR armed forces. "Only young
Armenian men serve in the Nagornyy Karabakh armed forces. No foreign
mercenaries serve in the armed forces," Hasratyan said. "We do not
need mercenaries. There have never been mercenaries in the NKR defence
army either during the war or now, unlike our adversary’s army where
hundreds of mojahedin and Turkish instructors have been serving. The
NKR defence army is capable of ensuring its people’s security on
its own."