Azernews.Az

By Vafa Ismayilova

Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov has instructed the command and military units stationed on Azerbaijan's liberated territories to take decisive and urgent steps to suppress enemy provocations, the ministry reported on May 31.

Hasanov made the remarks at an official meeting held on May 31. The meeting was attended by the deputy defence ministers, commanders of types of troops, chiefs of the ministry's main departments, departments, and services. Commanders of the Army Corps and formations stationed on the liberated territories, as well as other officers, joined the meeting via video communication.

The minister analyzed the tense situation in Kalbajar and Lachin regions of the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border caused by the Armenian armed forces' provocations in recent days.

"Emphasizing the issues related to the organization of service and combat activities, the Defense Minister instructed the command of the military units stationed in the liberated territories to take decisive steps and urgent actions to suppress enemy provocations," the report added.

The minister conveyed to the meeting participants instructions and tasks set by President Ilham Aliyev over the operational situations.

Trying to enter Azerbaijani territories, a group of Armenian saboteurs committed a sabotage act in the direction of Kalbajar region on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border in the early hours of May 27. Azerbaijan foiled the enemy attempt and detained six saboteurs.

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.

The November peace deal also stipulates the unblocking of transport routes in the region that has been closed due to three decades of deadly conflict.

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