Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Armenian armed forces continue to commit arsons in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

This time, Alibayli village of Tovuz region was subjected to Armenian terror, regional broadcaster Kapaz TV reported on September 11.

Late on September 10, the Armenians burned pastures around the village. As a result of the arsons, which lasted throughout the day, the neutral area of ​​more than five hectares burned down.

In the past few days, Armenian armed units have violated the ceasefire more frequently in the Tovuz region.

Early on September 10 the Armenians set fire to dry grasslands in the unused areas in the neutral zone near the Alibayli and Hajally villages of the Tovuz region. The fire raged for several hours.

The head of the Alibayli village municipality Shahvalad Aliyev said that the Armenians not only set fire to the territory of the village, but also subject it to shooting.

"The fire started today and lasted almost all day. Previously, the village was subjected to an intense shooting. As a result of the shooting, one of the residents was wounded," Aliyev said.

Earlier, a 28-year-old resident of the Alibayli village working in the courtyard was wounded by an Armenian sniper.

Fortunately, the intense violations of the cease-fire regime near the Alibayli village have not caused human casualties, but the traces of the shooting can be seen everywhere -- on the house rooftops and gates. Local residents say the Armenians set fire to the areas in neutral zones with special incendiary bullets.

Besides, powerful mine explosions roared in the territories that had been set ablaze. Presumably, the explosions occurred because of the heating of landmines planted there in the past, which regularly happens, according to local residents.

Armenian armed forces set fire to the occupied Azerbaijani territories frequently. The arsons have caused massive loss of natural resources, flora and fauna.

The fires also adversely affect the agriculture of the villages located in the frontline areas, as the Armenians deliberately set fire to the territories in the spring and summer months when crops are cultivated and harvested.

Moreover, residents of the frontline villages say that during the fires the attacks of reptiles, rodents and wild animals, especially, jackals, considerably increase.

The persistent fires in the occupied territories and in the protected areas along Araz River are destroying the entire plant cover in these areas and have bitter ramifications for the environment.

To date, the territories of Agdam, Fizuli, Jabrayil, Terter and Khojavand regions, which are situated on the troops' contact line, have been set ablaze deliberately by the Armenian invaders. The fire flames encircled thousands of hectares of land controlled by the Armenians, as well as spread over other territories and considerably damaged the nature there. A total of 96,000 hectares of pastures, hayfields and greeneries as well as forest fields were destroyed and the fertile soil surface became useless due to the perpetration of arsons by the Armenian soldiers in the occupied territories.

Despite all the vandalistic acts by the Armenian invaders that damage the nature and environment of Azerbaijan, these actions have yet to spark due reaction from the international community.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that triggered a lengthy war in the early 1990s.

The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.