BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 4
Trend:
The Armenian Armed Forces fired rockets at the Azerbaijani city of Ganja from the territory of Armenia, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said, Trend reports.
According to Hajiyev, heavy artillery and rockets, deliberately and purposefully, were used, meanwhile the cities of Tartar, as well as Horadiz, Fuzuli district were shelled.
He noted that rockets were again fired from the territory of Armenia towards the settlements of Fuzuli and Jabrayil districts of Azerbaijan. As a result of these attacks, there are dead and wounded among civilians.
The assistant to president pointed out that over the past few days, the Armenian side has fired more than 10,000 shells and rockets of different types at densely populated areas of Azerbaijan, completely destroying or seriously damaging more than 500 private houses.
“In the course of hostilities, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between combatants and civilians, military and civilian objects,” he emphasized. “The massive bombing of Azerbaijani settlements by Armenia without any military necessity is not accidental and is carried out purposefully. The systematic bombing of settlements by Armenia testifies to the fact that this plan was prepared in advance and included in the program of combat and fire training of the Armenian armed forces.”
“These actions by Armenia are an integral part of the policy of aggression and military occupation against Azerbaijan, which has been continuing for more than 30 years. To this end, the Armed Forces of Armenia use cluster bombs, which are prohibited by international conventions,” Hajiyev said.
“The Azerbaijani side, guided by international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, through the relevant international organizations, several times warned the military leadership of Armenia to refrain from artillery and rocket attacks on settlements and civilians,” he noted. “The leadership hasn’t done this and once again hypocrisy was demonstrated. This once again clearly shows that Armenia's goal is to deliberately shell civilians.”
“Most of the artillery and rocket strikes are made from artillery bases near the city of Khankendi. The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan are destroying these firing points with targeted and accurate fire,” he pointed out.
“Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that the presence of the Armenian armed forces in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan continues to be a serious threat to regional peace and security. The military-political leadership of Armenia poses a threat to the entire region,” Hajiyev added.
“In order to ensure sustainable peace in the region, Armenian troops must be completely withdrawn from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council,” concluded Hajiyev.