Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

April 2 marks the 21^st anniversary of the occupation of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar region by the Armenian armed forces.

Launching a large-scale military operation on March 27, 1993, the Armenian armed forces occupied the Kalbajar region on April 2.

Kalbajar, an area of 1,936 square kilometers located outside Nagorno-Karabakh, was the scene of the torture of innocent people by the Armenian invaders.

As a result of the incident, 511 people died andand 321 went missing or were captured; 55 soldiers were killed during the fighting; 53,340 residents of the Kalbajar region became IDPs. Moreover, 132 settlements and Kalbajar's gold deposits were seized by the Armenians.

The invaders destroyed more than 500 industrial, construction, catering and retail facilities, 97 schools and 76 health facilities.

The Armenians also destroyed an Albanian temple in the Vang village, an Albanian church in Cherekdar, Lok fortress in Ganlikend, Ulukhan fortress in Garajanli, an Albanian church on Tartar River, the fortresses of Galabonu, Jomerd, Keshikchi, several mosques in the town of Kalbajar and Otaqli village, Taglidash Bridge over the Tartar River, a museum of history and ethnography, the AshigShamshir Cultural House, and the SeyidAsadullah shrine in theSoyudly summer field of the Kalbajar region.

After the occupation of Kalbajar, the Armenians continued to plunder natural resources and historical and religious monuments in the region.

The Armenians residing in the occupied territories have currently destroyed most of the substantial natural monuments.

The ayifindigi trees in the occupied Kalbajar region, which stretch over a 968 hectare area and are included in the Red Book, are subjected to mass destruction and sold abroad.

Kalbajar's economy has sustained 703.528 million rubles damage as a result of the occupation.

Kalbajar was rich in natural recourses, especially gold fields such as Soyudlu-Zod with 112.5 tons of industrial resources, which is also in exploitation, and Aghduzdagh and Tuxtun with more than 13 tons of resources.

Soyudlu-Zod in Kalbajar has been a well-known gold field for centuries. Tapping the field started in the 3rd millennium.The B.C.E. Geological exploration carried out at Soyudlu in the 1970s-80s revealed ancient pits, caves, wells, rock, and ore fragments, as well as tools used for the extraction of gold. This showed that people produced gold there 4-5 millennia ago. The Zar village went down in history as "Shahrizar", i.e., a golden town.

Kalbajar was also famous for its water springs - Upper Istisu, Lower Istisu, Keshdek, Garasu, Tutxun, Mozchay, and Goturlusu, which are under Armenia's occupation.

The Azerbaijani Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry has said the Armenians produce Kalbajar'sIstisu mineral water with the name "Jamruk", and export it to Iran.

Unfortunately, these rich natural resources which belong to the Azerbaijani people are being plundered by the Armenian vandals.

Following the region's occupation, the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 822, demanding an immediate withdrawal from the region and other occupied areas of Azerbaijan. Armenia has not fulfilled the resolution.

Furthermore, contrary to the UN and OSCE principles, the Armenians have pursued a purposeful settlement of people in Kalbajar since 1999.

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 caused a brutal war in the early 1990s. Long-standing efforts by U.S., Russian, and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.

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