Elmar Mammadyarov: Armenian army shells Azerbaijani civilians

The attacks carried out by the Armenian armed forces near the front line populated by civilians were a beginning of the April escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said in telephone conversations with colleagues from Georgia, France and Lithuania. 

The minister stressed that due to the fact that on the night of April 2nd all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from Armenians, Azerbaijani settlements near the frontline populated by civilians were shelled, and as a result of the shelling a number of civilians were killed and injured.

Mammadyarov recalled that, despite the decision of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on April 3rd on a unilateral ceasefire, the Armenian units continue to violate the ceasefire.

But the main cause of tensions is the illegal presence of Armenian troops in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Armenian troops should be withdrawn from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and the conflict can be resolved only on the basis of the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.

Recall, on the night of April 2 all frontier positions of Azerbaijan were exposed to heavy fire from large-caliber weapons, mortars, grenade launchers and guns. In addition, Azerbaijani settlements near the front line, densely populated by civilians, were shelled.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20% of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.