The Deputy Defense Minister of Armenia, David Tonoyan, has informed the Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk about Azerbaijan's readiness to bomb the city of Khankendi (Stepanakert), news.am reports with reference to the press secretary of the Defense Ministry, Artsrun Hovhannisyan.
Recall, the head of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, Zakir Hasanov, has ordered all forces to be alerted, 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, the 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 inhumane steps Armenia is forcing Azerbaijan to take appropriate measures," the statement says.
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 Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
