BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28
Trend:
The military-political leadership of the aggressor Armenia continues to strike at the civilian population, numerous houses and civilian targets, grossly violating its obligations under the Geneva Conventions, Trend reports citing Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General’s Office.
"Densely populated areas - regional and rural centers, civil infrastructure objects - hospitals, medical centers, school buildings, kindergartens are selected as targets. By now, 26 civilians in total have been hospitalized with various injuries," the statement said.
"It should be noted that as a result of heavy artillery shelling of the center of Tartar District, as well as of densely populated villages by the enemy forces, the houses of Ahmadov Mayil Alasgar, Salahov Nizami Majid, Karimov Elshan Shahmat were severely damaged, the main strategic bridge and the police station were hit. Furthermore, as a consequence of the enemy shelling, house No. 10 consisting of 54 apartments on E.Safarov Street, Terter District, as well as apartment house No. 16 in Shikh Arkh village of the district fell into disrepair, the residents were evacuated," Prosecutor General’s Office said.
The Prosecutor General’s Office noted that numerous small and large horned livestock perished as a result of artillery shells hitting the auxiliary buildings belonging to Aghayev Bakhtiyar Rahim, resident of Sahlabad village, and Rasmiyya Hasanova, a resident of Yukhari Gapanli village of Tartar District.
"At present, all possible investigative measures are being carried out by the prosecution authorities. Appropriate examinations to determine the severity of bodily injuries, as well as to estimate the amount of damage inflicted on civilian infrastructure are appointed. The Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan is taking all necessary steps to ensure that servicemen of the Armenian armed forces who have committed various crimes are prosecuted and punished within the frames of international law," the statement said.
The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 06:00 (GMT+4).
The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population.
Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov said Sept. 27, 2020, that Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari Abdulrahmanli villages of Fizuli district, Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages of Jabrayil district were liberated.
Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of the Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control.
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, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.