Azerbaijan hands 14-year jail terms to ISIS militants

The nation's security ministry "arrested the two Azerbaijani nationals in April over fighting in Syria and Iraq", a Baku court spokesman told AFP on Tuesday.

The two men "fought within the ranks of Daesh from 2014 to 2015 in Syria and Iraq," the spokesman added.

Azerbaijani nationals' participation in militancy activities in foreign conflicts is regarded as a criminal offence in the country.

Local media had previously reported that many Azeri nationals are fighting in the Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar terrorist group affiliated to Daesh militants operating in Syria and Iraq.

The Jaish al-Muhajireen wal Ansar declared its allegiance to the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra terrorist group in Syria in September .

Authorities in Azerbaijan have arrested at least 38 Azerbaijani combatants fighting for Daesh in Syria and Iraq since last year.

Azerbaijani courts sentenced 13 of the combatants to up to 15 years in prison in July and August.

The United Nations published a report this year revealing that most of about 25,000 foreign fighters, hailing from over 100 countries across the globe, are involved in armed conflict in Syria and Iraq, with a lesser yet increasing number, fighting in Libya.