BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 1
Trend:
While using heavy artillery and other large-caliber weapons, the Armenian armed forces continue to fire on the Azerbaijani settlements, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of the Foreign Affairs Policy Department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan Hikmat Hajiyev said, Trend reports on Oct. 1.
“As a result of the deliberately targeted artillery shelling of the Azerbaijani settlements, the Armenian armed forces killed 17 civilians, including two children, 51 civilians were wounded,” Hajiyev said. “State and private property were damaged.”
“By these actions, Armenia shows that it is a country without civilized values and committing treacherous attacks on civilians and minors,” assistant to the president added. “Shooting or killing of civilians deliberately during hostilities is a war crime.”
“Armenia and the Armenian political leadership are responsible for this,” Hajiyev said. “Targeting or killing civilians during hostilities is a war crime.”
During another act of aggression against Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan was again subjected to the rocket attack from Armenia’s Goris district. This is Armenia's second attack on Azerbaijan. The first attack was made from Armenia’s Vardenis district. As a result of a missile strike, about 20 houses were damaged in Jojug Marjanli village newly created for internally displaced people.
“We warn the Armenian side that if the attacks on Azerbaijan from Armenia’s territory continue, then adequate measures will be taken against the legitimate military positions which continue shelling," Hajiyev said.
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 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.
Military actions continued on Sept. 29. Azerbaijani army was able to destroy several tanks of the Armenian Armed Forces, as well as several key military facilities.
Azerbaijan's Dashkesan district underwent fire on the same day from the opposing forces, while Azerbaijani Armed Forces continued military actions on Sept. 29 to liberate the city of Fuzuli from occupation.
According to a statement from Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry, the Armenian armed forces have suffered heavy losses along the entire front line from Sept. 27 through Sept. 30, including tanks, armored vehicles, artillery installations, rocket launch systems, as well as command and observation posts, air defense systems, etc.
Back in July 2020, the 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.