Azerbaijan builds defensive walls to protect civilians from Armenian bullets

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

The recent heated shelling on the contact line of Armenian-Azerbaijani troops has urged the Azerbaijani government to build protective walls to save the lives of its citizens from Armenian violence.

Defensive walls are being constructed in Tovuz’s Alibeyli village, which is located near the Armenian border, in order to protect the village from enemy bullets, the Tovuz region’s executive authority told local media on September 7.

Alibeyli is the closest residential area to the border with Armenia. Shots fired from the enemy side have repeatedly wounded civilians in the past.

The construction, being carried out by Azerbaijan’s Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency, has been ongoing for a few years and still continues, according to the report.

The walls are mainly intended to protect social and educational facilities, as well as residential houses close to the contact line from bullets.

The region’s executive authority said a 500m wall has been constructed in the Hajalli village of Tovuz. In the Alibeyli village, the wall is 700 to 800m in length, but the construction process there still continues. Another wall will be built in Tovuz’s Aghdam village which is situated near the border with the adversary. The protective walls are 4m in height and 80cm in width.

The frequent ceasefire violations by the Armenian armed forces have caused serious damages to homes and farms in these villages and left many injuries and deaths. Almost, every house within these villages has been hit by deliberate or stray Armenian bullets.

The schools and other educational centers especially are under the constant danger. There are growing concerns over the lives of children. The Armenian armed forces deliberately targets children. Because of the restless shelling, the children cannot go to schools or even play in their yards.

As a result of the violence from Armenian troops, the residents of these settlements have gone through great difficulties. The frequent ceasefire violations by the Armenian armed forces have affected their daily lives. The residents of the frontline settlements were frequently wounded and killed in their homes or on their farms, as well as take them hostage.

The Armenian forces even don’t hesitate to kill the innocent children. On March 8, in 2011, nine-year-old Fariz Badalov was shot in the head by an Armenian sniper while playing in the courtyard in Aghdam region.

In July of the same year, 13-year-old Azerbaijani girl Aygun Shahmaliyeva fell victim to the Armenia`s inhumane and immoral policy in the Alibayli village. She tragically died as a result of the explosion of a toy with an explosive device, which the Armenian side deliberately dropped into the river flowing to the village.

The recent shelling of a wedding ceremony in an Azerbaijani settlement located near the frontline, which caused wounding of three people, is another clear evidence of Armenian violence toward Azerbaijani civilians.

Baku has condemned Armenia’s aggression toward civilians, stating this country bears responsibility to the international community for grossly violating international humanitarian law.

A precarious cease-fire between Azerbaijan and Armenia was reached after a lengthy war that displaced over a million Azerbaijanis. It has been in place between the two South Caucasus countries since 1994. Since the beginning of hostilities, the Armenian armed forces occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.