Azernews.Az

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijan’s armed forces have continued their counteroffensive operations along the frontline over the weekend.

In its statement about the situation in the front for 24 October, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said that the operations went on in the direction of Aghdere, Khojavend, Fuzuli, Hadrut and Gubadli. Armenian troops fired at Azerbaijani army positions, using small arms, mortars, and gun-howitzers.

Under the operational plan, the Azerbaijan army units continued their combat operations in certain directions of the frontline. Armenian troops failed to resist in the direction of Khojavend, Fuzuli, and Gubadli districts and were destroyed by an Azerbaijani fire strike. The adversary’s depots of arms, ammunition and fuel were destroyed. In some directions, they disorderly left their positions and retreated. Azerbaijani troops destroyed the adversary’s several strongholds and liberated important heights.

On the night of 23 to 24 October, the operations continued in Aghdere, Khojavend, Fizuli, Hadrut, and Gubadli directions.

During the day on October 24 and on the night of October 25, the combat operations continued with varying intensity in the front’s Aghdere, Khojavend, Fizuli, Hadrut, Gubadli, and Lachin directions. The adversary fired at our troops using small arms, tanks, mortars and gun-howitzers. Units of the Azerbaijani army continued their operations in main directions and expanded territories under their control.
Azerbaijani troops moved to new positions after weakening the resistance of the Armenian troops and inflicted serious damages on them in Khojavend, Gubadli and Lachin regions. The Armenian troops located in Aghdere and Khojavend regions suffered heavy losses in manpower following the shelling by units of the Azerbaijani army. Their artillery pieces were destroyed.
The units of the 1st battalion of the 543rd regiment of the Armenian armed forces transferred to Gubadli retreated, suffering losses in manpower and military equipment.
Most of the reservists brought from the Tsaghkadzor village of Armenia’s Kotayk region to Nagorno-Karabakh were destroyed by Azerbaijani troops.
As a result of steps taken by the Azerbaijani troops, a large number of military personnel, 2 tanks, 2 infantry fighting vehicles, 4 D-30 gun-howitzers, 1 2A36 « Giatsint-B» field gun, 7 auto vehicles were destroyed in various directions of the front.
Meanwhile, Armenian troops continued to shell human settlements in Tartar and Barda districts.

On October 24, starting from 13:00 to 15:00, the combat aviation of the Azerbaijan Air Force destroyed 3 tanks, 2 shelters and 4 strongholds of the Armenian troops in Aghdere and Aghdam directions of the front.

The Azerbaijan Air Force continued to launch airstrikes on the adversary's military infrastructure.

At noon on October 24, the Armenian troops attempted to attack the units of the Azerbaijan army from the Syunik-Zangilan road. However, they failed and they were forced to retreat. Moreover, several Armenian servicemen were captured.

On the same day, artillery units of the Azerbaijan army continued to inflict crushing blows on the Armenian troops and destroyed an Armenian unmanned aerial vehicle that attempted to fly towards Aghdere region. In the afternoon on October 24, the Azerbaijani Air Defence Units shot down an Armenian combat aircraft in Gubadli direction of the front.

To suppress the operations conducted by Azerbaijani armed forces in Lachin and Gubadli directions, Armenian troops launched intensive missile and artillery attacks on territories in Lachin and Gubadli districts from the positions in Armenia’s Gorus and Gafan regions. The strikes were aimed at provoking Azerbaijan to fire at Armenia.
On October 25 in the afternoon, during the battles conducted in different directions of the front, the Azerbaijani army units launched precise strikes on the adversary. Armenia’s 6 D-30 and 1 D-1 howitzer-guns, 2 BMP infantry fighting vehicles, 1 auto vehicle and a large amount of ammunition were destroyed during the strikes.

The Armenian armed forces continued to fire at Aghdam, Tartar and Aghjabadi regions on 25 October.

During the fighting in the direction of Gubadli, the Armenian armed forces attempted to attack, but following resolute actions by the Azerbaijani troops, they lost up to 50 servicemen and were forced to retreat. As a result, one armoured vehicle and four vehicles full of ammunition were seized.

On the same day, as part of successful combat operations the Azerbaijani troops destroyed artillery pieces, 2 MLRS BM-21 "Grad", 1 command-staff vehicle, 1 command post, 2 trucks, 1 tank, and several enemy firing points.

Despite that humanitarian ceasefire agreement reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which started at 0800 26 October, Armenian troops violated this regime by firing at Azerbaijan’s Aghjabadi, Tovuz, Dashkesan, Tartar, Aghdam and Fuzuli districts.

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