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Armenia loses another 3 tanks, 30 servicemen - VIDEO

4 April 2016 16:22 (UTC+04:00)
Armenia loses another 3 tanks, 30 servicemen - VIDEO

By Nazrin Gadimova

A new wave of fighting broke out in the Nagorno-Karabakh region on April 4, as the Armenian side continued to shell the Azerbaijani positions although the Azerbaijani side announced unilateral ceasefire on April 3.

The Azerbaijani forces destroyed three tanks and eliminated around 30 servicemen of Armenian armed forces during a counter-attack launched on April 4, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry reported.

The enemy units tried to attack Azerbaijani positions in the direction of Khojavend-Fizuli regions, according to the ministry. Crushing blows were inflicted on the enemy positions by return fire. One more enemy battery was destroyed, said the ministry.

Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces fully control the operational situation on the front line and ready to prevent any possible provocation, says the Defense Ministry.

Moreover, the Armenian command and staff point on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan has been destroyed by an exact response blow inflicted by the Azerbaijani troops.

As a result, a lot of enemy troops, including a general and a colonel, have been destroyed, according to the defense ministry.

Currently, there is no need to attract additional forces because the regular Azerbaijani army copes with the tasks, spokesperson for Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry Vagif Dargahli stressed.

The ministry’s various structures receive a large number of appeals with a request to join the ranks of the armed forces, according to Dargahli. “Citizens are willing to join the fight for the liberation of the territories. They are expressing readiness to render any assistance to the armed forces.”

Dargahli added that Azerbaijanis living along the frontline also express readiness to join battle with the enemy.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijani Forces’ response to the provocation of Armenian militaries have caused panic among the Armenian military and led to massive losses in the army. Local media reports that the commanders of the Armenian armed forces shot 17 people, who refused to take part in military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh and tried to flee.

The Armenians also put up checkpoints in the conflict zone and do not let those wishing to leave.

On April 2, the Armenian military units located in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan made another provocative action along the entire length of contact line as the Azerbaijani positions along the frontline came under fire from large-calibre weapons, mortars, artillery and grenade-launchers. Some residential areas and refugee settlements close to the frontline also came under fire.

This resulted in the killing of two civilians and injuring of 10 another, including a 13 year old child. More than 10 houses as well as local people`s property were also damaged.

The Azerbaijani armed forces command took an immediate decision to launch counter attacks in order to prevent the activation of the Armenian military units in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions and to protect civilian population. Located in the most tense Aghdara-Tartar-Aghdam and Khojavand-Fuzuli directions, the Azerbaijani military units immediately carried out retaliatory actions against the Armenian troops.

As a result of these measures the Azerbaijani armed forces broke the first defensive line, where the Armenian units had carried out fortification and engineering work for years, and also took over several strategic hills and residential areas.

The Azerbaijani troops retook hills around the village of Talish capable of posing threat to Goranboy region and the town of Naftalan, as well as Seysulan settlement, and also took over Lele Tepe hill located in the direction of Fuzuli region.

Six Armenian tanks and 15 artillery units and engineering installations were destroyed, tens of Armenian servicemen were killed or injured.

Twelve Azerbaijani servicemen were killed in the fighting, a Mi-24 helicopter was shot down, and a mine blast damaged a tank.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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