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By Azernews

By Gunay Camal

Armenia with its continuous provocations and aggression against Azerbaijani civilians brings the South Caucus region closer to war, says an Azerbaijani lieutenant-general.

Armenian armed forces fired at the Alkhanli village of Fizuli district, using 82 and 120 millimeter mortars and heavy grenade launchers on July 4. The ceasefire breach killed 50-year-old villager Guliyeva Sahibe and her two-year-old grandchild, as well as wounded 48-year old Guliyeva Servinaz .

Former commander of the military unit, retired general-lieutenant Yashar Aydemirov, commenting on the next provocation by Armenia, said that Armenians have always opened fire and killed civilians.

“Shooting at human settlement, killing of elderly, women and children are ancestral traditions of Armenians. But ours will never act like that. Now they [Armenians] have again resorted to provocation by killing people in Fuzuli,” he said, stressing that the Azerbaijani army took adequate retaliatory actions.

“Armenians by such actions force our army to respond them and to attack their military facilities to prevent the provocation. So, Armenians themselves bring the war closer. We have the right to start the war at any time, but they just intensify using our right."

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains to be a source of danger for the whole region with the potential of escalation to turn to a new war.

Although, Azerbaijan which is suffering from Armenian occupation of its lands for over 20 years is loyal to the Karabakh peace process. Armenia refuses to fulfill the UN four resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan and continuously resorts to provocations. And this leaves no choice but war for Azerbaijan to restore its territorial integrity.

As for reasons why Armenia resorts to provocations to instigate war in Karabakh, Aydemirov is sure that by this way Armenia tries to postpone the peace talks.

"Yes, they do this intentionally. Armenia is well aware that it will loose the war. But at this stage, they are interested to hinder the talks. They know very well that those who support them will not allow the war to deepen, and pressure on Azerbaijan to stop the war," he said.

Armenia's incumbent authorities take every effort to position themselves in the society as "strong", Aydemirov added. "They want to show as if the Azerbaijani side opens the fire and they are responding, and the situation on the front is tense. In short, they try to cover their own [failures] to maintain stability inside. They realize that a mass protest that may put an end to their power against the authorities may start in Armenia at any time,” he said.

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 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

No progress has been achieved so far during the negotiations held with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group.