TODAY.AZ / Politics

Armenia violates Geneva Convention, kills civilians on frontline

28 April 2016 [12:11] - TODAY.AZ

/By Azernews/

By Nazrin Gadimova

Armenia, breaching the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, continued targeting Azerbaijan’s civilians living in the territories adjacent to the front-line area on April 28.

One resident of Azerbaijan’s Agdam region was killed, while eight injured as a result of shelling from the Armenian side, said Ragub Mammadov, the head of executive authority of the region.

As a result of massive shelling, Famil Mustafayev, a resident of the Chamanli village was wounded. However, not long after he was taken to the hospital he died because of his injuries, Mammadov stressed. Among those injured, two are in critical condition -- a resident of the Chamanli village Ali Huseynov and a resident of the Efendili village Elnur Mammadov. Moreover, one of the civilians got a concussion.

At the same time, more than 100 houses located near the contact line of troops were damaged by the Armenian shelling.

“Starting from the evening hours of April 27, till 04.00 of April 28 Armenian units again shelled our positions and residential areas of Terter and Agdam regions with 60, 82 and 120 mm mortars as well as 122 mm D-30 howitzers,” Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry reported.

Azerbaijani Armed Forces mounted a retaliatory strike against Armenian military positions in accordance with the operational situation, the ministry added.

Immediately after the escalation of the situation, the Ministry said that in case Armenia continues shelling Azerbaijani settlements, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces will inflict retaliatory strikes on Armenia’s military facilities located in residential areas.

Azerbaijan’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing People said that over 20 houses, 1 administrative building and more than 20 graves were damaged in the Azerbaijani district of Terter as a result of the Armenian strikes beginning from April 26. In addition, private farming lands, as well as the districts electricity and gas lines were damaged.

Considering the situation, the State Commission has informed the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of these acts that are contrary to the norms of international law and rules of war, and called on the Armenian side to avoid doing these actions.

After Russia-brokered ceasefire agreement was reached on April 5, the situation on the contact line of troops of the Armenian and Azerbaijani armies has again aggravated.

Given the situation, Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has sent letters to the UN and OSCE in connection with the escalation of the situation along the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops.

Hikmet Hajiyev, the Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry said that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of the UN Security Council Louis Michel and Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council Pohl Eberhard were informed about the Armenian provocations against Azerbaijan.

In these letters, Mammadyarov urged the heads of international organizations to strongly condemn Armenia for violating the ceasefire agreement reached on April 5 and to demand Armenia’s complying with the undertaken commitments and withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Moreover, Mammadyarov noted that provocative actions of Armenia blow the diplomatic efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is the sole negotiator of the conflict, Hajiyev concluded.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/150211.html

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