JIHADIST groups are believed to have been present in Azerbaijan since at least February, it was claimed today, with Turkey accused of shipping in militia, including the Uighur Muslim terror group the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP).

The Islamist fighters are thought to have been mobilised from their bases in Syria to join Azeri forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, where they are fighting against Armenia.

Despite Turkey initially denying the presence of the jihadists, film footage and photographs have since corroborated reports which began circulating in the Syrian press in August.