Azerbaijan frees over 2,000 hectares of its occupied lands

/By Azernews/

By Gunay Camal

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces have liberated more than 2,000 hectares of the country's territory from the Armenian occupation.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry announced about this on May 18, further adding that the Armenian leadership finally officially confirmed that it carried out an armed provocation against Azerbaijan in the country's occupied territories in early April, which resulted in changes on the contact line of troops of the two countries.

The situation on the frontline aggravated on April 2 after the Armenian military units in the occupied lands began shelling Azerbaijan’s positions with large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers. The armed clashes resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-attack, which led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements.

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces liberated important heights and territories of strategic significance in Agdere district, as well as in the Fizuli and Jabrail districts from the occupation during the counter-offensive following the enemy's attack.

Although the Armenian side states about the alleged loss of 800 hectares, it's obvious that the area of territories?? liberated by Azerbaijan is being intentionally downplayed, according to the defense ministry.

The ministry stated that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces freed more than 2,000 hectares of land, and even a larger area from an operational point of view came under the control of Azerbaijani armed forces.

"Contrary to the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani armed forces are not taking any steps to aggravate the situation on the contact line but are only forced to take adequate steps," the defense ministry said. "No sabotage of the enemy will remain unanswered. The figures issued by Armenia regarding casualties on the both sides in early April also don't reflect reality. Actually the losses of the Armenian armed forces are ten times higher than ours."

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces killed more than 320 Armenian servicemen during the April clashes on the contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops. More than 500 Armenian soldiers were injured, 30 enemy tanks and other armored vehicles, as well as more than 25 artillery pieces were destroyed during the counter attacks of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and Armenia declared a truce brokered by Russia on April 5. But, still Armenia continues to breach the ceasefire, firing the worst violence in more than 20 years in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.

The OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, proceeding talks based on the renewed Madrid principles.