Azernews.Az

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijan has foiled an Armenian sabotage act on the border in the direction of Kalbajar region and detained six saboteurs, the Defence Ministry reported on May 27.

"On May 27, at about 0300, a reconnaissance and sabotage group of the Armenian armed forces attempted to enter our territory in the direction of the Yukhari Ayrim settlement of Kalbajar region in the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border. As a result of urgent measures, six enemy servicemen who tried to mine the supply routes leading to the positions of the Azerbaijan Army on the border, were surrounded, neutralized, and taken prisoner," the ministry said.

In the early hours of May 27, several combat vehicles, including tanks of the Armenian armed forces, were congested near the border. As a result of the actions taken by the Azerbaijani armed forces, their movement was suppressed, the report added.

The ministry said that the operational situation in the said direction is under the Azerbaijani army's control.

In a later report, the ministry clarified that Armenia's two reconnaissance and sabotage groups crossed the state border in two directions at 0300 on May 27.

"One group consisted of nine servicemen and the other of 15 servicemen. The movement of the reconnaissance and sabotage groups was taken under control. The Azerbaijan army units took urgent operational measures against both enemy groups that were attempting to mine the supply routes and passages on Azerbaijani territory leading to our posts," the ministry said.

The report added that four servicemen, including one officer from the first enemy group, and two servicemen from the second group (in all, six servicemen) were disarmed and detained.

The ministry provided details of the geographical coordinates of the area where the members of reconnaissance and sabotage groups were detained. It was noted that other Armenian servicemen immediately retreated, leaving the Azerbaijani territories.

It should be noted that the ministry reported on May 26 that the Azerbaijani army positions came under fire of Armenian troops in Kalbajar and Gadabay regions from May 24 to 26 from the enemy positions in Armenia's Gegharkunik region.

Azerbaijan and Armenia resumed the war after that latter started firing at Azerbaijani civilians and military positions starting September 27, 2020. The war ended on November 10 with the signing of a trilateral peace deal by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders.

The peace agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani Army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centres, and historic Shusha city. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.