Russia Fears Terrorists Flocking to Karabakh Near Its Southern Flank

Russia expressed on Tuesday its fear that hosts of terrorists across the world will flock to the Nagorno Karabakh region near the southern flank of its territories, according to Al-Ain news website.

The head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin, said that the situation in the region threatens to turn it into a launching pad for terrorists inside our territory.

The disputed region is witnessing stiff fighting between Azerbaijan and separatists from Armenia, amid fears that the region will slide into a wider war.

The Russian official added: "We are confident that the two parties to the conflict in Nagorny Karabakh will return to the negotiating table later."

Naryshkin warns that the armed confrontation raging in Karabakh appears to be a magnet that attracts militants from various international terrorist networks.

He continued that Moscow can only express concerns about the possibility of the South Caucasus turning into a new stronghold of international terrorist organizations, from which militants will infiltrate in the future into countries bordering Azerbaijan and Armenia, including Russia.

On the other hand, Naryshkin expressed confidence that "the parties to the conflict, with the support of the international community, will eventually stop using military force, and sit at the negotiating table.

The Director of Foreign Intelligence pointed out that Russia, as one of the co-chairs of the "Minsk Group" on Karabakh,  in cooperation the with  Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, on Karabakh, considers that a new war in this region is unacceptable, and it is very much interested in the killing of the friendly Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples during hostilities.

Russia has military bases in Armenia, but also has good relations with Azerbaijan. Moscow's fear comes after assurances that Turkey will send Syrian mercenaries to Karabakh.

Earlier, Russia called for a de-escalation in the Caucasus and addressing the crisis through dialogue.

The Russian comment reflects Moscow's growing concerns about Ankara's destabilizing role in the region.