Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces have completed the active phase of large-scale military exercises in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

The military exercises were held in accordance with the combat training plan for 2014, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry announced on April 17.

Military exercises were attended by 20,000 military personnel, over 400 units of armored vehicles, aviation and air defense systems, and forces and facilities of the rocket army and artillery, including the military staff of the Army Special Forces.

During the military exercises, firing live ammunition from tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, rocket launchers and artillery, and mortars was carried out.

Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov, Azerbaijani Defense Minister, highly appreciated the military training of all the units which attended the military exercises and expressed satisfaction at the results.

Military exercises were also observed by deputy Head of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration and Defense Issues Assistant to Azerbaijani President, Lieutenant-General Vahid Aliyev.

Deputy Interior Minister and Commander of Internal Troops Major General, Shahin Mammadov also appraised Azerbaijani army's military training at high level.

He said the military training of the interior troops of Azerbaijani Interior Ministry located in Nakhchivan is at a high level.

He made the remarks during his visit to the military unit in the Autonomous Republic.

The Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan is an Azerbaijani exclave situated on the border of Iran with 410,000 Azerbaijani inhabitants, has been blocked by Armenia since almost 25 years ago.