Azerbaijan Puts Armed Forces On Alert After Suspected Iran Drone Hit

BERLIN, March 5 (Bernama-dpa) — Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has placed the armed forces on alert following a suspected Iranian drone attack on Thursday, state news agency AZERTAC reported, according to German Press Agency (dpa).

Aliyev told a meeting of the Security Council in Baku that the military must be ready for any kind of deployment, the report said.

Earlier, drones struck the airport and an area near a school in Nakhchivan, an autonomous exclave.

Iran has denied responsibility for the attack.

Aliyev's office issued a statement condemning what it called a "heinous terrorist act".

Iran must provide an explanation and those responsible must be held accountable, the statement said.

Azerbaijan is not taking part in military operations against Iran, but will protect its territorial integrity, it said.

The exclave of Nakhchivan is separated from mainland Azerbaijan and borders Armenia, Turkiye and Iran.

The United States and Israel have been carrying out airstrikes against Iran since Saturday. In response, Tehran has fired missiles and drones at several countries in the region.

— BERNAMA-DPA