Armenian artillery shells Azerbaijani positions
On July 12, the Armenian artillery shelled the Azerbaijani positions in the Tovuz district. The Azerbaijani military responded with counterfire and prevented the advancement of the Armenian armed forces. As a result of the fire exchange, the Armenian troops failed to advance and were forced to retreat with no territorial gains. Currently, Azerbaijan’s armed forces fully control the situation on the ground.
According to Xinhua, four Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in a fresh wave of clashes on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border.
Three soldiers were killed on Sunday and one on Monday in artillery fire near the northern Tavush region, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense said on Monday.
According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, at least two Armenian police officers were wounded in the clashes.
The two countries have traded accusations over which side started the fighting and violated the ceasefire.
Both countries said the situation is under their control.
The deadly clashes were reportedly erupted on Sunday in the Tavush region between the two countries.
As a member of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) Minsk Group co-chairs, Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Monday expressed concern in a statement over the escalation of the clashes and urged the two countries to exercise restraint.
“The enemy received an adequate response yesterday and this night. Our servicemen have been avenged and we will continue to do so in the future,” said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at a meeting of the Security Council on Monday. “The blood of our servicemen and martyrs does not and will not remain on the ground. We will use every opportunity to defend ourselves and show the enemy its place again,” the head of state added.
“The attack by Armenia, with the use of artillery, against the positions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan, along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, constitutes aggression, an act of the use of force, and another provocation,”
said Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Issues Department of the Administration Hikmat Hajiyev. “The troops of the State Border Service have been deployed along the extensive part of the state border in Gazakh and Tovuz districts from Azerbaijan’s side, to prevent provocations and reduce cases that can lead to tensions on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia, on the contrary, has continued to militarize the border between two countries, while deliberately and systematically targeting the civilians.”
“Such military recklessness on the part of Armenia pursues an objective of drawing the military-political organizations to which it is a party to into the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, and evade the responsibility of occupation and aggression against Azerbaijan. Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan that has lasted for nearly 30 years and provocations perpetrated along the border also contravene the legal documents of the military-political organizations to which Armenia is a member,” he noted.
Armenian defense ministry tried to deny that its troops shelled the villages, but the photos released in media prove the opposite.
In blatant violation of the UN Charter and other legal international obligations Armenia has carried out military aggression against Azerbaijan and occupied Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The UN Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 demand full and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
“The provocation by Armenia, perpetrated along the border, is yet another evidence that the official Yerevan is disinterested in the negotiated settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Armenia launched this offensive and a provocation during the time when the international community is fighting the COVID-19. That and continued violations of the ceasefire by Armenia proves that Armenia’s support of the initiative by the UN Secretary-General on a global ceasefire due to COVID-19 is nothing but hypocrisy,”
Hikmat Hajiyev said.
“We call upon the international community to condemn Armenia’s policy of occupation against Azerbaijan and its provocative actions perpetrated along the border. Armenia’s leadership bears full and sole responsibility for the current situation,” he added.
As a result of the Armenian shelling, serious damage was inflicted to the residential houses in the nearby settlements. Civilians were wounded, including infants, cattle killed, agricultural machinery damaged.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been occasional minor clashes along the borders.
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Source: Xinhua, Parvana Garayeva