Armenia provokes incident on frontline

/AzerNews/

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Hope for a lasting solution to the current conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan were further shattered Wednesday when Armenian forces resumed hostilities along the contact line resulting in the downing of an Armenian military helicopter by Azerbaijani forces.

Talks earlier last month between Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents held in Paris at the behest of French President Francois Hollande.

Azerbaijani armed forces shot down a MI-24 military helicopter belonging to the Armenian army and averted the enemy's deliberate attack on November 12. This was the first major incident in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone since early August, when an unprecedented exchange of fire claimed lives on both sides.

Video footage of the incident captured the scene as the shooting occurred. Two Armenian MI-24 helicopters in the video clearly violated Azerbaijan's airspace and caused uproar among Azerbaijani soldiers who feared an attack on their positions was imminent.

Azerbaijani itroops fired an RPG at the enemy choppers, hitting one of them, causing it to crash to the ground in a ball of flames.

Armenian Armed Forces possess about 12 MI-24 attack helicopters. The MI-24 is a large attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport designed for eight passengers and weapons of various calibers. Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant built this kind of helicopters since 1972. The helicopter is called as "Hind" in NATO circles. Pilots say the Mi-24 is a "flying tank" due to its heavy armored body. More common unofficial nicknames of the MI-24 are the "Crocodile" for its camouflage scheme and the "Drinking Glass" because of the flat glass plates which surround the chopper's cockpit.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the military exercises conducted by the Armenian armed forces in Azerbaijan's occupied lands, saying Armenia has started large-scale drills notwithstanding the two sides’ presidential talks on the conflict.

The Ministry noted that Azerbaijan declared its airspace closed over the occupied territories and notified all International Civil Aviation Organization member-states to avoid flights there. “The illegal intrusion of military helicopter into the airspace of Azerbaijan is the continuation of Armenia’s occupation and aggression against Azerbaijan, as well as its use of force policy against Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

The Ministry of Defense said MI-24 helicopters belonging to Armenian armed forces attempted to violate Azerbaijan's airspace over the frontline positions in the Aghdam district's Kengerli village at 1:45 p.m, on November 12. The helicopter was shot down by the Azerbaijani side. The debris of the downed helicopter fell down on an area, located 500 meters ahead from the border.

Armenian army's Mayor Sergey Saakyan, crew members Sargis Nazaryan and Azat Saakyan were killed on board of the helicopter.

“The recent provocations were not surprising given to Armenian leadership's logic and policy on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," said Novruz Mammadov, Deputy Head of Presidential Administration, Director of Foreign Relations Department.

He said Armenia's frequent provocations aims to mislead the international community into having a biased opinion about Azerbaijan. "They attempt to make others believe that Azerbaijan does not want the conflict to be solved."

Mammadov noted that Armenia will never succeed in creating a negative opinion about Azerbaijan and liberating the occupied lands remains Azerbaijan's main target.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, NATO, the European Union, the U.S. Department of State and other international organizations have also voiced their concerns over downing of Armenian helicopter, calling Azerbaijan and Armenia to reduce the tension and obey the ceasefire agreement.

Meantime, Defense Minister Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, ordered the serviceman who shot down the enemy’s helicopter, Unit Commander Muradov Ilkin Mammad oglu, be awarded the third degree medal "For distinguished military service" for shooting down the enemy’s Mi-24 helicopter by showing vigilance and heroism during execution of combat duty.