Swiss envoy visits Armenian-hit Ganja

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Heads of diplomatic missions in Azerbaijan, ambassadors, military attaches, and heads of representations of international organizations in Azerbaijan visited Ganja on October 12 following a deadly Armenian missile attack on the city.

During the visit, Switzerland Ambassador to Azerbaijan Muriel Peneveire and expressed her deep condolences to the bereaved families.

She noted that Switzerland had already announced its position on September 28 regarding the escalation of tensions around Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"Switzerland calls on the parties to immediately renounce the use of force and to comply with their obligations, particularly in the field of international humanitarian law. This means that the civilian population must be protected," she stressed.

It should be noted that the purpose of the visit was to get acquainted with the consequences of Armenian armed forces' missile attacks on civilian objects and energy infrastructure of Azerbaijan.

The diplomats were accompanied by Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev.

The diplomats were also informed that these actions by Armenia contradict the agreement on humanitarian ceasefire reached in Moscow. Although Azerbaijan complied with the humanitarian truce, Armenia has committed acts of vandalism against the civilian population. It was emphasized that international organizations must exert political pressure on Armenia, which commits war crimes and targets civilians.

Armenian launched an overnight missile attack on October 11 at apartment buildings in the central part of Ganja, the second largest city of Azerbaijan, located far from the frontline.

Ten civilians, including four women, have been killed in the attack. More than 10 apartment buildings and above 100 different facilities have been severely damaged.

The attack on Ganja comes hours after the humanitarian ceasefire signed between Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers with Russia's mediation on October 10. Ganja also came under Armenian missile attack on October 4 as one civilian was killed and several others were injured.

It should be noted that since the truce on October 10, Armenian forces have also been shelling Azerbaijan’s civilian areas in Goranboy, Tartar, Aghdam and Aghjabadi districts. Azerbaijan has destroyed three Armenian UAVs since October 11 – one near Mingachevir Hydro Power Plant, two near Aghdam and Tovuz regions.

Armenian armed forces have also opened fire at a sanitary medical vehicle, clearly marked with a white flag, that was collecting the bodies of Armenian soldiers in the area of Sugovushan. A medical worker was seriously injured as a result of the attack.

Armenian armed forces launched a large-scale operation in the front-line zone on September 27 at 6 am, shelling the positions of the Azerbaijani army from large-calibre weapons, mortars, and artillery installations of various calibres. Armenia has been targeting Azerbaijan’s densely populated areas and infrastructure projects.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are locked in a conflict over Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh breakaway region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.