ISLAMABAD, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Saturday rejected as "baseless and unwarranted" comments by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Pakistani special forces are fighting alongside the Azerbaijani army in the ongoing conflict.
Clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region started late September, with both countries trading accusations over which side escalated the conflict and shelled civilians.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes since.
"We have seen the transcript of Armenian prime minister's interview on Oct. 15 with a Russian TV referring to some unsubstantiated reports alleging involvement of Pakistani special forces alongside Azerbaijani army in the ongoing conflict. We categorically reject these baseless and unwarranted comments by the Armenian prime minister," the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan said.
A foreign ministry statement said President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan has also clarified his stance on the matter stating that Azerbaijani forces are strong enough to defend their homeland and do not need the help of foreign forces. Enditem