Azernews.Az

By Ayya Lmahamad

Armenia’s missile attacks on civilians in Azerbaijan’s Ganja city is a war crime and the Armenian leadership bears responsibility for this crime, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said during phone conversation with President of the International Turkic Academy Darkhan Kydyrali on October 19.

Thirteen civilians had been killed as Armenia launched ballistic missiles on Azerbaijan’s second-largest city Ganja on the night leading to October 17 amid humanitarian truce between the two countries.

The minister noted that Armenia has also been attacking Azerbaijani positions in the direction of the Jabrayil region, as well artillery shelled Gababay and Tovuz regions of Azerbaijan on the border as the continuation of the violation of truce. He stressed Armenia’s continued shelling of the civilian infrastructures, including the cotton factory in Tartar despite the second humanitarian truce.

In turn, Darkhan Kydyrali expressed deep condolences on the loss of lives, and strongly condemned the deliberate missile attack on Ganja city by Armenian armed forces, stressing the inadmissibility of targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. In addition, he emphasized the importance of the settlement of the conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and based on the UN Security Council resolutions.

Armenian attack on civilians and violation of humanitarian ceasefire was also discussed during Bayramov’s phone conversation with France Foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian on October 19.

During the conversation, the minister noted that intensive shelling of the Azerbaijani positions and attacks in the directions of Fuzuli, Jabrayil and Hadrut regions openly shows that Armenia is ignorant of the ceasefire and aims to regain lost positions in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. He emphasized that violation of humanitarian ceasefire shows once again the disinclination of the Armenian to its commitments under international humanitarian law.

Bayramov added that the withdrawal of all Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in accordance with the related resolutions of the UN Security Council is necessary for ensuring peace in the region.

Jean Yves Le Drian stressed the importance of implementing the humanitarian ceasefire and noted the necessity of substantial negotiations without delay under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale operation in the front-line zone on September 27 at 6 am, shelling the positions of the Azerbaijani army from large-calibre weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibres.

Sixty one civilians have been killed and 282 others have been injured since the outbreak of large-scale hostilities on September 27. As a result of the shelling of civilian infrastructure facilities by the occupying country's armed forces, 1,846 houses and 90 multi-apartment residential buildings, as well as 341 civilian facilities were severely damaged.

Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale operation in the front-line zone on September 27 at 6 am, shelling the positions of the Azerbaijani army from large-calibre weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibres. Armenia has been targeting Azerbaijan’s densely populated areas and infrastructure projects.

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Ayya Lmahamad is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @AyyaLmahamad

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