Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Armenian armed forces kept tension on the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line by deliberately lighting fires within the occupied Azerbaijani territories over the last several weeks.

The latest fire, which started on the frontline in the direction of Azerbaijan’s Tartar region in the evening, has spread to a large area.

The local media reported that within a short period of time, the fire spread to the territories under Azerbaijani control.

The fire brigades of the State Fire Protection Service of Azerbaijan’s Emergency Ministry in Tartar region were immediately involved in the fire-fighting efforts.

The fire was extinguished and residential homes and grain fields were saved from the flames.

A large number of wild animals in the area of the fire fled to the nearby villages, escaping the flames.

Last week, the Armenian armed forces set fire in occupied part of Azerbaijan’s Aghdam region, which then spread to villages located near the contact line of Armenian-Azerbaijani troops.

Armenian armed forces often commit large-scale arsons in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, particularly in summer.

Border villages in the Aghdam region frequently face such destructive acts by Armenian soldiers.

Such attacks are indicators that the Armenian leadership deliberately seeks to cause harm to Azerbaijan and its people by making life at the border difficult and risky.

Further risks arise from fleeing rodents and poisonous snakes, which flock to lowland areas in the country and enter private farms and fields to escape the flames.

Arsons have thus far caused immeasurable damage to flora and fauna. Armenians have deliberately set fires in the spring and summer months when crops are cultivated and harvested, with the aim of adversely affecting agriculture in the villages along the front line.

Persistent fires in the occupied territories and the protected areas along the Araz River are destroying the integrity of the soil used for cultivation. This has bitter ramifications for the environment.

To date, the towns of Agdam, Fizuli, Jabrayil, Terter and Khojavand, situated along the troops' line of contact, have been deliberately targeted by Armenians. A total of 96,000 hectares of pastures, hayfields, and forest have thus far been destroyed by Armenian arsonists and the once fertile soil cannot be tilled.

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.

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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SaraRajabova

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