Azerbaijani private wounded as Armenia violates shaky truce

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani army private Nijat Isgandarov was wounded in shelling of the Armenian armed forces, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry.

“Despite the ceasefire agreement, on September 28, at about 1800 hours, units of the Armenian armed forces, using various caliber weapons subjected to fire the Azerbaijan Army positions stationed in the Alagollar direction of Kalbajar District. A serviceman of the Azerbaijan Army, Isgandarov Nijat Hidayat oglu was wounded as a result of the fire,” the ministry said.

Medical assistance is being offered to the wounded servicemen. The report added that units of the Azerbaijani army took appropriate retaliatory measures to suppress the opposite side.

“We declare that the entire responsibility for the incident falls on the Armenian military-political leadership that deliberately escalates the situation,” the ministry stressed.

In the same line, the ministry denounced as "fake" the information circulated by Armenia alleging that the Azerbaijani army violated the ceasefire using mortars and large-caliber weapons.

“By spreading such information, the Armenian Defense Ministry is trying to conceal the fact that they violated the ceasefire. We declare that the units of the Azerbaijan Army took adequate retaliatory measures only to suppress the opposing side’s firing points,” the ministry underlined.

Armenia periodically shells Azerbaijani military positions on liberated territories. Units of the Armenian armed forces carried out large-scale provocations along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border in Dashkasan, Kalbajar, and Lachin directions on the night of September 12 leading to 13.

The Armenian sabotage groups mined land and supply roads linking the positions of the Azerbaijani army units in different directions, taking advantage of the area's steep topography and existing ravine gaps.

The clashes between the sides ensued due to the urgent efforts made by the Azerbaijani armed forces to quell these activities. As a result, 79 armed forces personnel were killed, the ministry detailed.

So far, the Armenian government has reported 207 losses among its own military personnel. Moreover, 293 soldiers and three civilians were wounded, and 20 soldiers were taken as prisoners.