BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 8. The remnants of the so-called "regime" in Karabakh region, internationally recognized part of Azerbaijan, continue attempting to "threaten" the country, thus further boosting anticipations of an anti-terrorism operation in the region, Trend reports.
The separatists' so-called "leader" Arayik Harutyunyan was the first to speak out.
He gave an "interview" announced for several days, conveying a message that he "has no intention of retreating or agreeing to Baku's demands".
Another person named Sargis Pogosyan, who identifies himself as the "commander of an armed group called the "Crusaders" made a statement which the "leader" of separatists didn't dare to.
"If the road to Karabakh isn't opened and the population isn't supplied with food by 6:00 (GMT +4), we'll open the road by force," Pogosyan said.
This statement further assures an impending anti-terrorism operation in Azerbaijan. Armenians seem to prepare another provocation. In this case, Azerbaijan has no other choice but to launch an anti-terrorism operation, as the terrorists have openly declared their intentions.
Significant construction and restoration work is underway in the areas liberated from Armenian occupation in Azerbaijan [following the 2020 Karabakh war], and former IDPs are returning to their homeland. However, terrorists leading armed formations, like Pogosyan, are attempting to disrupt Azerbaijan's plans for the "Great Return" with their provocations. Simultaneously, they aim to hinder the peace process between Baku and Yerevan.
These terrorist intentions pose a significant threat, both to the construction efforts and to the people returning to their homeland. Hence, with each passing day, Azerbaijan increasingly recognizes the need to neutralize these separatist terrorists to ensure the safety of its citizens.
While peace talks continue, the separatists and illegal armed groups are engaging in gunfire and making provocative statements, creating an abnormal situation.
Azerbaijan's patience has its limits. In a recent speech, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev reiterated that illegal armed groups must be removed from Karabakh.
Those elements disrupting the peace process must exit Karabakh, and those who resist must be dealt with. This is likely to happen soon, as it seems there's no other option. The separatists in Karabakh and their supporters are leaving no alternative.
In order to prevent the transportation of manpower, ammunition, mines, as well as other military equipment from Armenia for illegal Armenian armed groups on the territory of Azerbaijan (which weren't withdrawn contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020), and as an adequate response to the unilateral establishment of a border checkpoint by Armenia on the border with Azerbaijan on April 22, 2023, at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, on April 23 this year, the units of the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan set up a border checkpoint in its sovereign territories, on the border with Armenia, at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road.
Despite the fact that Azerbaijan ensured the passage of Armenian residents, representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Russian peacekeeping contingent through the border crossing, the Armenian side spread false allegations about the alleged "tense humanitarian situation" in the region in order to continue its illegal activities in our territories.
At the same time, Armenia committed provocations, such as shelling Azerbaijan's border guards on June 15, an attempt at smuggling, sending trucks to the territory of Azerbaijan on July 26 without permission.
Moreover, despite the fact that Azerbaijan put forward a number of proposals for meeting the needs of Armenian residents of Karabakh, including the use of the Aghdam-Khankendi road and other alternative roads, and they were supported by the European Union and the ICRC, the Armenian side opposes these proposals and blocked the entrance to the territory by erecting concrete barriers on alternative roads. All this once again showed that its statements about the "humanitarian situation" are political blackmail.