BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 5
Trend:
As a result of Armenia's shelling of civilians and civilian objects and infrastructure of Azerbaijan since September 27, 24 civilians have been killed, 121 civilians have been wounded, and over 300 houses, civilian objects, and infrastructure have been destroyed, Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Office Gunay Salimzade said Trend reports.
She noted 19 criminal cases have been initiated in connection with the crimes committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan, adding that criminal investigations are ongoing.
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 took important, strategic heights under control.
Military actions continued on Sept. 29 - Oct. 1. 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.
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.