Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijani armed forces will respond tenfold to any attack from the Armenian side, which constantly keep the frontline under their attacks.

Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov ordered the forces to respond tenfold to any attack from the Armenian side and destroy the enemy's positions, Trend news agency reported quoting some reliable sources.

Despite the fragile ceasefire, which signed in 1994 through Russia's mediation, Armenian troops frequently open fire at Azerbaijani soldiers and civilians.

The ceasefire violations on the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops have recently intensified.

The Armenian Armed Forces didn't hesitate to fire at the civilians, who live in the villages located near the frontline.

Four civilians were wounded as a result of Armenian Armed Forces' shelling of the houses and fields in the border villages last week.

Also, as a result of ceasefire breaches, two servicemen of the Azerbaijani Army were killed and another four were wounded in late May. The Armenian Armed Forces further escalated the situation on the frontline with killing two servicemen of the Azerbaijani Army in June.

As a result of the ceasefire violation on June 27, Azerbaijani lieutenant was wounded on frontline near the Azerbaijan's Gazakh region, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

"On the night of June 27, Armenian Armed Forces shelled the Hajally village of Tovuz region wounding the 30-year-old resident of the village Elnur Guliyev in the legs and arms," local media reported.

The wounded was taken to the nearby hospital for treatment. His condition is reported satisfactory.

The Armenian Armed Forces also heavily shot the Alibayli village of Tovuz region on June 28.

Village Executive Officer, Valeh Rzayev told local media that the villagers hid in the houses and turned off the light to protect themselves against the bullets.

The Armenian forces were silenced with a strong retaliatory attack by Azerbaijani forces. As a result of Azerbaijani forces' attack, a unit of Armenian forces was destroyed and arson blazed up in the neutral zone.

No villager was injured.

Also, Khokhanabi village of Tovuz region was subjected to intensive ceasefire violations by the Armenian Armed Forces.

The residents of the border villages said the Armenian Armed Forces fired at the village by using large-caliber weapons.

The attack left a lot of property damages. The residents said the Armenian troops usually fire at the village at noon and nights.

The Armenian Armed Forces target the village houses close to their units particularly if they see light in the houses.

Despite these events, the residents of the villages continue their everyday life.

Village resident, Vugar Mammadov said: "We do not want to run away and leave the village. Our cemetery is here, our fathers and mothers were buried here. We cannot leave them. We do not want to leave."

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.

Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994, but Armenia has continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal.

Peace talks mediated by Russia, France, and the U.S. have produced no results so far.