In response to the Armenian armed forces’ provocation in the past few days, the Azerbaijani armed forces are striking their positions along the frontline, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said Sept. 4.
The Armenian side, which has suffered huge losses, began to shell Azerbaijani villages and the local population in the areas adjacent to the frontline.
The Azerbaijani armed forces are taking decisive and appropriate measures to prevent such actions of the military and political leadership of Armenia, faced with setbacks at the front, the statement said.
While fearing even more heavy blows of the Azerbaijani armed forces, the Armenian leadership began to evacuate residents from 20 villages in the border area allegedly under the pretext of the military exercises.
The Azerbaijani defense ministry said that if the Armenian side does not immediately stop shelling Azerbaijani villages and the local population, the Azerbaijani armed forces would neutralize the Armenian servicemen by using any available weapons.
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, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by CN
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