Svante Cornell: Azerbaijani army adequately responded to Armenia’s provocation
Azerbaijan’s army has proved its combat capability, adequately responding to Armenia’s provocation, says Svante Cornell, director of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program of the John Hopkins University.
The recent incident testifies that the combat capability of the Azerbaijani army has greatly improved, Cornell told Trend on April 4.
Regarding Armenia’s aggression, Cornell said the Armenian side carried out a similar provocation in 2014.
“Taking into account the period of Armenia’s provocation, one can see that this provocation took place after the Nuclear Security Summit in the US," Cornell said, adding that this is not a coincidence.
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.
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Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova
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