BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23
Trend:
The Armenian officer, who surrendered to the Azerbaijani army, has appealed to his people, Trend reports.
The surrendered officer is Police Major Edik Tonoyan, who retired in 2018.
“For two years I went to Russia to work. In 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, I couldn’t go to Russia, stayed in Armenia, and began to engage in construction,” said Tonoyan.
“On September 27, when the war with Azerbaijan began, my son and I were taken to the military enlistment office. At the military registration and enlistment office, we agreed that instead of my son they would send me to military service, and I would serve on the territory of Armenia. I didn't want to go to Karabakh, because this is not our land. I said that if necessary, I'm ready to fight for Armenia, but not for Karabakh,” the mayor added.
Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the 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 liberated a number of territories previously occupied by Armenia, as well as take important, strategic heights under control.
The fighting continued into October 2020, in the early days of which Armenia has launched missile attacks on Azerbaijani cities of Ganja, Mingachevir, Khizi as well as Absheron district.
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, the 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.