Azernews.Az

Azerbaijani armed forces may carry out strikes on Khankendi city and other occupied settlements, read a message posted on the website of the country’s Defense Ministry on April 4.

“Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry has tasked all types of the armed forces, including the rocket and artillery troops, to be ready to carry out crushing strikes from all heavy combat weapons on Khankendi city and other occupied settlements, if Armenians do not stop shelling Azerbaijani settlements in a short time,” said the message.

Armenian armed forces are targeting densely populated residential areas and civilians in order to retaliate for heavy causalities along the frontline, added the ministry.

“Acting inhumanly, the Armenian side provokes Azerbaijan to take counter measures despite the continuous warnings made by Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry to the Armenian side,” said the message. “Azerbaijan once again calls on Armenia to respect the international law and norms and stop the use of lethal force against civilians.”

On April 2, the Armenian military units located in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan made another provocative action along the entire length of contact line as the Azerbaijani positions along the frontline came under fire from large-calibre weapons, mortars, artillery and grenade-launchers. Some residential areas and refugee settlements close to the frontline also came under fire.

This resulted in the killing of two civilians and injuring of 10 another, including a 13 year old child. More than 10 houses as well as local people`s property were also damaged.

The Azerbaijani armed forces command took an immediate decision to launch counter attacks in order to prevent the activation of the Armenian military units in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions and to protect civilian population. Located in the most tense Aghdara-Tartar-Aghdam and Khojavand-Fuzuli directions, the Azerbaijani military units immediately carried out retaliatory actions against the Armenian troops.

As a result of these measures the Azerbaijani armed forces broke the first defensive line, where the Armenian units had carried out fortification and engineering work for years, and also took over several strategic hills and residential areas.

The Azerbaijani troops retook hills around the village of Talish capable of posing threat to Goranboy region and the town of Naftalan, as well as Seysulan settlement, and also took over Lele Tepe hill located in the direction of Fuzuli region.

Six Armenian tanks and 15 artillery units and engineering installations were destroyed, tens of Armenian servicemen were killed or injured.

Twelve Azerbaijani servicemen were killed in the fighting, a Mi-24 helicopter was shot down, and a mine blast damaged a tank.

--

Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz