Baku, Azerbaijan, August 2
By Ilkin Izzet - Trend:
The Azerbaijani armed forces are ready to use any available weapon to prevent an enemy attack, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Vagif Dergahli told Trend on August 2.
He was commenting on the information that the Azerbaijani army shelled Armenia's positions using artillery, mortars, anti-aircraft installations and other large-caliber weapons, resulting in Armenia's huge losses.
While answering a question about the Azerbaijani side's concentration of military equipment and modern weapons on the frontline, Dergahli said that Azerbaijan has the right to move military equipment on its territory. The planned relocation may be conducted at any speed and in any direction. The Azerbaijani armed forces have the most modern equipment and weapons. If necessary, they will be able to use them.
"The Armenian armed forces shelled the positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces using machine guns, sniper rifles and other large-caliber weapons," he added.
Armenian armed forces launched a diversion on the night of July 31-August 1, when reconnaissance and sabotage groups tried to cross the contact line of the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops through the territories of Aghdam and Terter regions.
According to the Azerbaijani defense ministry, the effort was revealed and prevented in time, by Azerbaijani armed forces.
Armenia's reconnaissance and sabotage group attacked the positions of Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of Azerbaijan's Aghdam and Agdere regions on the night of August 1-2.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented four U.N. Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.