Ambassador of Kazakhstan: Shelling of Barda - gross violation of int'l humanitarian law

By Trend

The shelling of Azerbaijan’s Barda district is a gross violation of international humanitarian law, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan Serzhan Abdykarimov said, Trend reports on Oct.28.

"With great concern and regret, I took the news of the rocket attack on the Barda district, which resulted in the death of civilians. Such acts grossly violate international humanitarian law and existing agreements on the ceasefire regime," Abdykarimov noted.

On October 28, 2020, the Armenian Armed Forces launched missile strikes on Barda city. The strikes were made using the Smerch missile systems, as a result of which 14 civilians were killed, over 40 wounded.

Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of the Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery on Sept. 27.

Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front. As a result of retaliation, Azerbaijani troops liberated a number of territories previously occupied by Armenia, as well as take important, strategic heights under control.

The fighting continued into October 2020, in the early days of which Armenia has launched missile attacks on Azerbaijani cities of Ganja, Mingachevir, Khizi as well as Absheron district.

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, the Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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