Defense minister:Azerbaijan's army justifies people’s confidence
By Nazrin Gadimova
Azerbaijani Armed Forces have proved that they justify Azerbaijani peoples’ confidence.
Zakir Hasanov, Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister made the remark at the farewell ceremony with the Azerbaijani servicemen – Murad Mirzayev, Tabriz Musazade, Urfan Valizade and Bakir Ismayilov - killed while preventing the Armenian provocations on the contact line of troops.
"I would like to emphasize that the martyrs will be avenged, while our lands will be liberated from occupation,” the minister stressed.
Over hundreds of years, Armenian fascists have been committing crimes and genocide, and if not prevented, it will continue like that, Hasanov added.
"I want to note that our martyrs have proved the world that the people of Azerbaijan are the heroic people. They have fulfilled their sacred duty,” the minister noted.
Hasanov further cited the words of national leader Heydar Aliyev, saying that every soldier, every officer of the Azerbaijani army should know that Azerbaijan's territorial integrity must be recovered at any cost.
Azerbaijan’s servicemen Tabriz Musazade, Urfan Velizade, Bakir Ismayilov and Murad Mirzayev were killed on April 2, as a result of Armenian armed units’ provocations. Their bodies were handed over to the Azerbaijani side on April 10. After the farewell ceremony, they will be buried at the second Alley of Honor.
On the night of April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from the Armenian side, which used large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers. The armed clashes resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-attack, which led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements.
Military operations were stopped on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian armies on Apr. 5 at 12:00 (UTC/GMT + 4 hours) with the consent of the sides, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry earlier said. Ignoring the agreement, the Armenian side again started violating the ceasefire.
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Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova
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