Azerbaijan stops arms smuggling to Karabakh

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan reported that this morning it was possible to stop the import of weapons to Karabakh. There was an exchange of fire with smugglers, they were neutralized.

For quite a long time, the Azerbaijani side has received signals about illegal deliveries of weapons to Karabakh from the Armenian territory. The attackers found an alternative to the Lachin road. The saboteurs began to use the detour of the Lachin corridor, the Khankendi-Khalfali-Turshsu unpaved road, for the supply of weapons.

The ministry said that on Sunday, March 5, operational information was received about the transportation of military equipment, ammunition and personnel from Armenia to the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed. The units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces moved to the place to check the information. A car was seen on an unpaved road, an attempt to stop it led to the fact that those in the car opened fire. There was an exchange of fire, the attackers were neutralized by return fire.

Armenia confirms the death of three saboteurs. Another smuggler was hospitalized with a wond.

There are losses and wounded as a result of the incident on the part of the Azerbaijani army, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic said.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry stresses the need for unconditional implementation of the tripartite declaration and informs that the Khankendi-Lachin road is the only road between the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan and Armenia, any transportation along other routes is unacceptable.

Earlier, the facts of transportation of ammunition, other military supplies, including mines, fuel and manpower, from Armenia to the Karabakh economic region were established, the report says.

Sunday's incident was another evidence of the need for Azerbaijan to establish a checkpoint on the Lachin-Khankendi road, the Ministry of Defense of the republic notes.

"The fact that Armenia is still carrying out military transportation to the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan is the country's ongoing aggression against Azerbaijan and terrorist policy", the ministry informs.

The Azerbaijani side emphasizes that the entire responsibility for the committed provocation lies with the military and political leadership of Armenia.