Baku, Azerbaijan, March 5
Trend:
Military vehicles and manpower of the Armenian armed forces have been destroyed, said Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry in a message issued March 5.
Divisions of Azerbaijan's armed forces delivered a pre-emptive strike March 4 along the contact line between the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia in response to the Armenian side's attempt to carry out a diversion.
"Armenian leadership, who suffered losses of tens of people and military vehicles, continues to hide its bloody acts from its people," said the ministry.
"Defense Ministry warns that Azerbaijan's armed forces will immediately and decisively prevent diversion attempts and shelling of civilian settlements," read the message.
"Armenia's military infrastructure, located in Aghdere, Madagis, Talish and other settlements, will be destroyed," added the ministry.
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 US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.