BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 28
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Azerbaijan, liberating its territories from Armenian occupation, is beginning to restore its territorial integrity, Georgian expert on national security issues, Doctor of Political and Military Sciences, Professor Vakhtang Maisaya told Trend.
The expert noted that, despite such a breakthrough, the parties should still sit down at the negotiating table.
"Both sides have already announced mobilization. The fighting is going on along the entire perimeter around Nagorno-Karabakh, in the territories occupied by Armenia," Maisaya said.
According to him, for the first time in recent years, military actions of this magnitude have taken place.
"This war can develop into a full-scale military-political tragedy, into a regional war. There is still an opportunity to stop and start peace negotiations," Maisaya said.
"All representatives of the international community, including the Georgian authorities, must do everything possible to ensure peace and prevent a full-scale war in the region, otherwise it will already be a real Caucasian war," he said.
Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27.
Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops managed to liberate the territories previously occupied by Armenia: Garakhanbeyli, Garvend, Kend Horadiz, Yukhari, Ashagi Abdulrahmanli villages (Fuzuli district), Boyuk Marjanli, and Nuzgar villages (Jabrayil district).
Moreover, the positions of the Armenian armed forces were destroyed in the direction of Azerbaijan's Agdere district and Murovdag, important heights were taken under control.
Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian armed forces.
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.
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