The head of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, Zakir Hasanov, has ordered to alert all forces, including missile and artillery troops, to inflict strikes on the city of Khankendi (Stepanakert) and other occupied settlements in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone from all available heavy military means, corresponding statement was published on the website of the Ministry.
This measure will be taken if in the near future the Armenian Armed Forces will not stop attacks on the settlements of Azerbaijan located on the contact line of troops, thus causing damage to the civilian population.
"Despite repeated warnings from the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, by its inhuman steps, Armenia is forcing Azerbaijan to take adequate measures," the statement says.
As the head of the press service of the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan, Vagif Dargahli, stated this evening, the Armenian Armed Forces continue the artillery bombardment of Azerbaijani villages, which are close to the contact line.
It is worth noting that contradictory statements are coming from Yerevan. For example, despite the continuing provocations on the contact line of troops, the Armenian Defense Ministry appealed to the Azerbaijani government with a call to start the development of technical conditions of a truce in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry denied information, spread earlier by Yerevan, about 300 killed soldiers of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman, Vagif Dargyahly, informed.
After the failed offensive, the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan voiced the desire of the republic to stop the conduction of hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.
"Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh are in favor of the cessation of hostilities. Armenia is ready for compromises in the Karabakh settlement," he informed.
At the same time, together with the restoration of the ceasefire regime, the President of Armenia spoke for the return of military forces to the positions they occupied as of April 1st.
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.
