Last night 12 September the units of the armed forces of Armenia conducted aggressive incursions in the direction of Dashkasan, Kalbajar and Lachin along the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border.
According to information provided by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, sabotage groups of the armed forces of Armenia using the mountainous relief of the area and existing valley gaps planted landmines in the areas between the positions of Azerbaijan’s army and their supply routes. The Armenian armed forces also fired intensively at the positions of the Azerbaijani Army in Dashkasan, Kalbajar and Lachin regions with different types of weapons, including mortars. As a result, there were casualties among the personnel of the Azerbaijani armed forces, and damage was inflicted on military infrastructure.
In order to contain threats from the armed forces of Armenia definitive retaliatory measures were taken by the units of the Azerbaijani Army to silence the firing points of the armed forces of Armenia. During the last month, aggressive activities by the Armenian armed forces in the region of Lachin, Gadabay, Dashkasan and Kalbajar along the state border have increased. The Armenian army has directed intensive and systematic firing on the positions of the Azerbaijani Army in those regions with various types of weapons. Armenia’s increase in militarisation along Azerbaijan’s borders, deployment of heavy equipment and heavy calibre weapons in the region suggest that Armenia is preparing for a large-scale military intervention.
Azerbaijan says that Armenia is failing to respond to the peace agenda and is not interested in the peace process and aims to undermine them. They say that this is demonstrated by the facts that Armenia is using specious pretexts to delay the normalisation process, they are adopting a destructive position in the negotiations conducted with international efforts, they are failing to withdraw the Armenian armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan contrary to the obligations within the framework of trilateral statements and agreements, they are continuing to plant landmines, and are putting forward new conditions and disrupting the process of opening of communications and transport routes,.
A communique issued by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs accuses Armenia accuses Armenia of committing a gross violation of the fundamental norms and principles of international law, as well as the provisions of the trilateral statements signed between the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Russian Federation, and the agreements reached between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It states that responsibility for the aggression, clashes and losses lies with the military and political leadership of Armenia. The communique concludes with a statement that any actions against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan will be resolutely prevented.
