The Azeri military has been using Israeli-made drones in its military campaign against Armenia, Hikmet Hajiyev an aide to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, told Walla News on Wednesday.
"If the Armenians are afraid of these drones they should stop the occupation," Hajiyev was quoted as saying, referring to a geographical area where intense battles are taking place.
Fighting has erupted between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in recent days in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Dozens of troops have reportedly been killed on both sides as the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Tuesday and called the warring countries to reach a ceasefire.
"We appreciate very much the cooperation with Israel – especially the security cooperation," the aide said. "The goal is to strengthen the defensive capabilities of Azerbaijan. We are in a state of defense and this technology allows Azerbaijan the ability to protect the security of its citizens."
Israel has thus far refrained from publicly commenting on the uptick of violence between the two Eurasian countries. A strategic-defensive collaboration between Jerusalem and Baku was signed in 2016, as estimates in the media say that Israel supplies more than 60% of the Azeri military's weapons.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.