Armenian armed units continue violating truce, target civilians

/By Azernews/

By Nazrin Gadimova

The situation on the contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops has remained tense as the Armenian Armed Forces shattered ceasefire a total of 120 times throughout the day.

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry reported that breaching the truce, the Armenian military units shelled the Azerbaijani positions and settlements located in Terter region using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars, multiple rocket launchers and other weapons. Given the operational situation, Azerbaijani Armed Forces inflicted 121 strikes upon Armenian positions.

The Defense Ministry stressed that the Azerbaijani military units inflicted strikes only upon the military facilities of Armenia, while the enemy is targeting civilians living in the villages adjacent to the contact line of troops.

Thus, eight houses located in the villages of Terter region have suffered severe damage from the Armenian shelling. Mustagim Mammadov, the head of the Terter Region Executive Authority, said several private houses in villages of Seidinli, Gapanli, Gazyan, Seysulan, Chilaburt, Yarimdzha and Goyarh were shelled by truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher ‘Grad’.

“One of shells exploded not far from the power substation,” he said, adding that as a result, 11 villages remained without electricity.

He noted that currently repair work is being held on the substation.

The situation on the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops has again aggravated despite the ceasefire agreement that was reached with the mediation of Russia on April 5.

The long-lasting Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict remains unresolved due to the continuation of Armenia’s occupant policy. Yerevan has not yet implemented the UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

The OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, proceeding talks based on the renewed Madrid principles. However, the statements promising a sincere contribution to the peaceful resolution of the conflict have become frequent, but declarative in essence.