Defence chief urges vigilance on Azerbaijan-Armenia border during holidays
By Vafa Ismayilova
Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov has urged extra vigilance and improved combat activities on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border and the territories under the temporary Russian peacekeeper control, the ministry has reported.
An official meeting held at the Central Command Post under Col-Gen Hasanov's leadership on December 27 analyzed the current situation on the state border and the territories where the Russian peacekeeping forces are temporarily stationed.
"The minister ordered to improve service and combat activities, especially to increase vigilance during the upcoming holidays," the ministry said.
The meeting was attended by the deputy defence ministers, commanders of types of troops, chiefs of the ministry's main departments, departments, and services. Commanders of the Army Corps and formations stationed on the liberated territories and other officers also joined the meeting via videoconference.
Hasanov conveyed to the meeting participants the tasks set to the Azerbaijan army by President, Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev during his visit to Hadrut settlement.
The minister positively assessed the exercises held in the troops and charged the attendees with the task to conduct various exercises and practical training in line with real combat conditions at nighttime and in the daylight hours to increase the combat capability of the units.
It was noted that due to the winter period, special attention was paid to the logistics and engineering support of units. Moreover, service conditions were improved and the military personnel’s medical support was strengthened, and servicemen are timely provided with warm clothing and food.
Hasanov also instructed the officials to carry out educational work in a planned manner, to further strengthen the ideological work and moral-psychological support so that the troops are always ready to perform combat missions.
Azerbaijan and Armenia resumed the second war after the latter started firing at Azerbaijani civilians and military positions starting September 27, 2020. The war ended on November 10 with the signing of a trilateral ceasefire deal by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders.
The ceasefire agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and historic Shusha city. The Azerbaijani army declared a victory against the Armenian troops.
The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw all its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it had occupied since the early 1990s.
About 2,000 Russian peacekeepers have been deployed for five years in Karabakh under the trilateral cease-fire deal signed by Baku, Moscow and Yerevan on 10 November 2020.
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