The government of Azerbaijan announced this on Tuesday Beginning of “anti-terror activities” in Nagorno-Karabakh after the denunciation Death of two civilians and four soldiers due to the explosion of anti-personnel mines in the region and the ongoing tensions with Armenia.
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense announced the launch in a statement published on its website of “anti-terror activities of a local nature” to “ensure order and restore the constitutional structure of Azerbaijan.”
“During anti-terrorist activities in the Azerbaijani region Karabakh does not target civilians or civilian infrastructure facilities. “Only legitimate military targets will be incapacitated through the use of high-precision weapons available in the arsenals of the Azerbaijani army.”
“Taking into account the firepower deployment of the Armenian armed formations near residential areas, we ask the civilian population to stay away from military facilities and not to support the formations of the Armenian Armed Forces,” he stressed, before emphasizing that Baku had sent “information on this point” via mobile messaging services to “Armenian residents in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.”
He also emphasized that “the population will be warned via loudspeakers and leaflets will be distributed.” “The protection and security of administrative, social, educational, medical and religious institutions will be organized in accordance with the laws of Azerbaijan and the norms of international law.”added.
In this way, he reiterated that “the continued presence of the Armenian Armed Forces in Karabakh represents a serious threat to peace and stability in the region” and emphasized that this situation “contradicts the clauses of the tripartite agreement signed on November 10, 2020.” . “, which included a ceasefire after the last war in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities and the sick receive the necessary help and other support. They will receive drinking water and food,” the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said, adding that “humanitarian corridors and stations have been established.” A reception was created on the Lachín highway and in other directions to ensure the evacuation of the population from the danger zone.
Yerevan talks about “ethnic cleanliness”
Following Baku’s announcement, the Armenian government accused Azerbaijan of “unleashing another large-scale aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, aimed at completing its policy of ethnic cleansing.” “Guided by its sense of impunity, Azerbaijan has openly accepted responsibility for the aggression,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.
“We strongly condemn the aggression of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh and mass crime “This happened exactly three years ago, in 2020. It is the continuation of Azerbaijan’s large-scale use of force,” he noted, before confirming that the region’s capital Stepanakert and other cities are being attacked by artillery on an empty pretext the ‘destruction of military objects’.”
In this way, he claimed that “Armenia has repeatedly warned against Azerbaijan’s ongoing aggressive actions against Nagorno-Karabakh, against openly belligerent rhetoric and absolutely false and reprehensible propaganda calls.” “To protect the population of Nagorno-Karabakh from terrorists with the aim of subjecting the population of Nagorno-Karabakh to ethnic cleansing through the use of force.”
Yerevan was cited as an example the “illegal blockade” of the Lachin corridor by Baku, stressing that “the attack has already been preceded”. for publishing false information about mine attacks and sabotage operations by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, indicating that the attack was planned.”
“We’ll explain that again Armenian forces and equipment are not deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh and that all news about mine-laying and sabotage operations are false and fabricated,” he claimed, before calling on the international community to “take clear and unequivocal steps to put an end to Azerbaijan’s aggression.”
The Foreign Ministry, in turn, has appointed itself Nagorno-Karabakh Republic – officially known as Artsakh – filed a complaint on his social network account “Azerbaijan has launched a large-scale military offensive,” adding that Stepanakert and other cities “are being intensively attacked with artillery.”
“Azerbaijan continues its ethnic cleansing of Artsakh by forcibly evicting 120,000 people from their homes. “The failure of international actors to lift the blockade and prevent a genocide in Artsakh has given Azerbaijan the green light to launch a military offensive against a 120,000-person siege in Artsakh,” he denounced.
KILLED IN AZERBAIJAN BY A MINE EXPLOSION
Shortly before, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry pointed out that in a first incident, two civilians had died as a result of the explosion of an anti-tank mine in the Khojawand region, emphasizing that it was placed “by a sabotage group of the Armenian Armed Forces” in the areas of the temporary Deployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Azerbaijan”.
Likewise, he pointed out that shortly afterwards “four employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who were sent to the area of the above-mentioned terrorist attack” died due to the explosion of another mine in a tunnel in the city of Taghaverd.
“The mine explosion in the Khojawand region shows once again that the main goal of Armenia, which has not withdrawn its armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan (…), and its puppet regime is to increase military tensions in the region and to contribute to it “participate in terrorist attacks,” he said.
He worked it out with that in mind “The purpose of these provocations is to prevent large-scale post-conflict reconstruction.”disrupt the lives of civilians living in these areas and prevent the return of internally displaced persons and their peaceful lives in their areas.”
On the other hand, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense has reported that two more soldiers were injured by shots fired by the Armenian army at their positions in the Aghdam region, although the Armenian Defense Ministry has accused Baku of giving information “that is not given.” correspond to reality.”
Baku also accused “illegal Armenian armed units” of “exploiting radio interference.” against the satellite navigation systems of civilian aircraft flying over Azerbaijan’s airspace,” citing a case recorded on a flight between Georgia and Baku on Monday.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have exchanged accusations in recent months of violating the 2020 ceasefire that ended the second Nagorno-Karabakh war – after the 1994 one. The conflict ended with a victory for Azerbaijan, which recaptured territory captured by Armenia in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, including the important city of Shusha.
Since then, both countries have maintained various contacts to try to sign a peace agreement, although the talks have encountered various obstacles, including the situation surrounding the Lachin Corridor, which connects Armenia with the self-proclaimed Republic of Arstay. Russian soldiers are stationed in the area as peacekeepers under the aforementioned ceasefire agreement.