Azerbaijani Foreign Minister discusses attacks on Barda with Swiss colleague

Azerbaijani Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov and the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis held a telephone conversation, according to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"During the telephone conversation, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov informed his counterpart about the aggression policy of Armenia, recent escalations in the region, Armenia’s shelling the densely populated residential areas, including the city of Barda, which is far from the conflict zone with no signs of a military target. He noted that the shooting of innocent civilians constitutes an act of war crime. Minister Jeyhun Bayramov also informed his counterpart about the casualties among the civilians as a result of treacherous rocket attacks by Armenia," Trend reported.

Ignazio Cassis in his turn expressed his concern on the attacks targeting civilians. He reiterated the position of Switzerland on supporting the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and noted the readiness of his country in case if there is a role to play in the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

The Armenian armed forces committed a large-scale provocation, subjecting the positions of the Azerbaijani army to intensive shelling from large-caliber weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibers in the front-line zone on Sept. 27 at 05:00 (Msk). The command of the Azerbaijani Army decided to launch a counter-offensive operation of Azerbaijani troops along the entire front to suppress the combat activity of the Armenian armed forces and ensure the safety of the civilian population. To date, Fizuli and Jabrayil districts, including the cities of Jabrayil and Fizuli, the city of Zangilan and part of Zangilan district, part of the Gubaldi region, the city of Gubadli, the city of Hadrut and a number of villages in the Khojavend region, the villages of Sugovushan and Talish in the Terter region, as well as the strategically important Murovdag mountain were liberated.