Azerbaijan announced the start of “anti-terrorist measures” in Karabakh

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense announced the start of local “anti-terrorist measures” in Karabakh. Statement about this published on the department’s website.

In particular, Baku uses high-precision weapons “on the front line and in depth” to disable the positions of the Armenian armed forces, combat assets and military installations of the republic. The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan clarified that civilian infrastructure and the population are not targets of strikes.

It is noted that the events are being carried out to ensure the provisions of the tripartite statement, the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the territory of the region and the “restoration of the constitutional order” of Azerbaijan. The department emphasized that the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent was informed about the start of the events.

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan noted that they had repeatedly warned Armenia that the presence of the republic’s military in Karabakh “is a source of a serious threat to peace and stability in the region.” They also pointed out the increase in tension in Karabakh due to “systematic shelling” by Armenia, mining of territories, as well as Yerevan’s strengthening of combat positions with personnel and weapons.

According to Baku, on September 19, a mine planted by Armenian “reconnaissance and sabotage groups” exploded on the Akhmedbeyli-Fuzuli-Shusha highway in Karabakh. As a result, civilians were killed and a vehicle was damaged. On the same day, another car carrying Azerbaijani military personnel was blown up. There are dead and wounded, the Ministry of Defense clarified. The department called the incident “a continuation of Yerevan’s purposeful and systematic terrorist policy” against Baku.

As a local resident of Stepanakert told Vedomosti, cellular communications do not work in the city. According to an eyewitness, Azerbaijan is striking military targets; no hits were recorded on civilian infrastructure. The interlocutor noted that local residents cannot evacuate the city. According to him, those who wanted to leave two weeks ago were no longer able to do so. Videos also appear on social networks in which artillery shelling of Stepanakert can be heard. The city is sounding an air raid warning, transmits “Sputnik Armenia”.

To the Ministry of Defense of Armenia statedthat as of 14:00 (13:00 Moscow time) the situation on the borders of the republic is “relatively stable.”

The aggravation of the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh has been going on since September 2020, when fighting began in the region between the militaries of the two countries. As a result, a tripartite statement was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on a ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh.

A new round of escalation occurred in 2022, when Baku established a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor – on the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia. On May 25, 2023, Pashinyan and Aliyev, through the mediation of Putin, discussed relations between the two countries in the Kremlin. However, no joint statement was adopted following the negotiations.

At the meeting, Aliyev noted that after Armenia’s statements on recognizing the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, the issue of agreeing on the points of the peace treaty will be “much easier.” After this, Baku talked about the desire to conclude a peace treaty with Yerevan by the end of 2023.

On September 12, Putin, commenting on the unstable situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, named The key to the problem is Yerevan’s recognition of Baku’s sovereignty over this territory. The Kremlin said that “tension in Karabakh is not subsiding and even tends to grow.” Russia continues to consistently work with both Baku and Yerevan, press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov emphasized.