BAKU, April 9. /TASS/. Seven Azerbaijani nationals suspected of taking part in combat operations as part of Taliban and Islamic State groups have been arrested in an anti-terrorist operation of the country’s security services, the public relations center of the National Security Ministry reported on Thursday.

It said the detained Azerbaijanis were facing charges under the national criminal code envisaging responsibility for creation of illegal armed groups, providing them with weapons, military hardware, and ammunition, as well as for stirring up of national, ethnic or religious hatred.

The court ruled the arrest of all seven suspects. It has been found out that two of them, took part in 2007-2013 in combat operations in Pakistan as part of Taifa al-Mansoura affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban.

The others fought in 2014-2015 on the territories of Syria and Iraq as part of Islamic State.

The ministry said work continued to expose other associates. They said under the country’s legislation participation in combat operations abroad as part of illegal armed group or recruiting of Azerbaijani nationals to military conflicts outside the country could be punished by up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment.