By Trend

In case of attacks from Armenia’s territory, Azerbaijan reserves the right to neutralize the legitimate military targets, Assistant to the Azerbaijani President, Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said, Trend reports on Oct. 14.

“During the humanitarian ceasefire regime, the Armenian armed forces continue artillery and missile attacks on Azerbaijani cities,” assistant to the Azerbaijani president added. “The missile attacks on Azerbaijan are made from Armenia’s territory.”

"Armenia is trying to expand the geography of the conflict and involve third parties in it,” Hajiyev added. “Azerbaijan does not have any military targets in Armenia’s territory. SCUD ballistic missile was also fired at Azerbaijan’s Ganja city from Armenia’s territory on October 11.”

“The use of a SCUD-type missile with great destructive power against civilians outside the combat zone is the first case in the OSCE area, and in general, one of the rare cases which are observed during the latest military conflicts in the world," assistant to the Azerbaijani president added.

“Armenia’s operational-tactical ballistic missile systems have been in combat readiness since this morning and are aimed at Ganja, Mingachevir, and other Azerbaijani cities,” Hajiyev added.

"The missile systems, which are legitimate military targets and have been in combat readiness, were neutralized as a result of a preemptive strike to save the civilian population,” the assistant to the president added. “The Armenian Defense Ministry was forced to admit that these missiles were in combat readiness."

“Tartar city and the villages of Aghdam district are being shelled from 07:00 (GMT+4) this morning,” the assistant to the president said. "One person died. As a result of a shell explosion in the yard of a secondary school in Duyarli village, eight civilians were injured. More than 100 shells were fired. There are also members of the film crew of Azerbaijan State Television who were wounded."

“Azerbaijan is committed to the humanitarian ceasefire regime,” Hajiyev said. "But in case of missile and other attacks from Armenia’s territory on the Azerbaijani military and civilian facilities, Azerbaijan reserves the right to neutralize them as legitimate military targets."