BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct.22
Trend:
Armenian Armed Forces' 5th mountain rifle regiment suffered numerous casualties as a result of artillery firing by the Azerbaijani army in the direction of Azerbaijan’s Agdere, Trend reports on Oct.22 referring to the Defense Ministry.
According to the ministry, the commander of the regiment’s 3rd battalion Robert Hambardzumyan went missing, and the chief of the battalion staff was neutralized. As a result of the underground shelter’s destruction, a significant loss of personnel of the Armenian Armed Forces occurred.
Furthermore, as a result of fire damage to the defensive sector of the forces’ 543rd regiment, heavy losses took place among the personnel. The regiment commander was wounded, his deputy, battalion commander Arayik Hovakimyan and his deputies, the commanders of the mortar battery, and the squadron were neutralized. The personnel of one of the squadrons of the 1st battalion refused to join the battle.
Currently, hostilities continue along the entire front. Azerbaijani troops are in control of the operational situation.
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.