UNICEF concerned about Azerbaijani civilians’ death
By Rashid Shirinov
UNICEF is concerned about the recent developments on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops that led to the death of Azerbaijani civilians, UNICEF Representative in Azerbaijan Edward Carwardine said on July 5.
He said that UNICEF urges both sides to do their best to be more restrained in order to protect children from danger.
On July 4 evening, the Armenian armed forces using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers shelled the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijan’s Fizuli region. As a result of this provocation, a resident of the village and her two-year-old granddaughter were killed. Another resident, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.
Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.
Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal. Peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. within the OSCE Minsk Group have produced no results so far.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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