By Azernews

By Vafa Ismayilova

The Azerbaijani army positions came under Armenian fire in a number of  Azerbaijani settlements from 1615 on November 15 to 0430 (local time) on November 16, the Defence Ministry reported on November 16.

Armenia's armed forces intensively fired at the Azerbaijani army positions located in Kalbajar region's Yellija, Barmagbina, Gadabay region's Galakand, Daryurd, Novoivanovka, Garavalilar, Tovuz regio's Aghbulaq, Aghdam, Garalar, Gosha, Kokhanabi, Hajalli, Alibayli, Asrik Jirdakhan and Aghstafa region's Kohnagishlag villages, using various-caliber firearms, the report added.

The Armenian troops fired from their positions located in Basarkechar region's Azizli, Zarkand, Ashaghi Shorja, Dara, Goysu, Pambak, Shamshaddin region's Chinarli, Mosesgekh, Yukhar? Mehrab, Aygepar, Gulali and Cahmarak region's Jil settlements.

Adequate retaliatory measures were taken by the Azerbaijani army units to prevent the opposite side's combat activity.The operational situation is currently under the control of the Azerbaijani army units, the ministry said.

Earlier, Baku condemned Yerevan for the recent escalation of tension on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border.

In an official statement posted on the Foreign Ministry website on November 15,  Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Leyla Abdullayeva said: "All responsibility for the current tension lies directly with the military and political leadership of Armenia."

The escalation of tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia has been observed since November 13, 2021, when several Azerbaijani servicemen were wounded in the attack committed by members of illegal Armenian armed formations near Shusha city on the Azerbaijani territory currently under Russian peacekeepers' temporary control.

The Azerbaijani army positions in liberated Kalbajar and Lachin regions have been under Armenian fire since the evening of November 13.

It should be noted that on November 15, Armenian President Armen Sargsyan dismissed Arshak Karapetyan from the post of defence minister and appointed Suren Papikyan as new minister by the suggestion of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

This is the fourth defence minister in Armenia since Pashinyan came to force in Armenia. Three of them were appointed after Armenia signed an act of surrender on November 10, 2020, following the 44-day war with Azerbaijan. 

Earlier, the Azerbaijani foreign and defence ministries slammed former Armenian Defence Minister Arshak Karapetyan's illegal visit to Azerbaijan's Karabakh region as a provocative act aimed at aggravating the situation and causing military confrontation.

It should be noted that Baku repeatedly made all the necessary proposals to Yerevan with regard to normalizing the post-war regional situation. Namely - to sign a peace treaty, to recognize each other's territorial integrity and to begin the delimitation and demarcation of borders. 

About 2,000 Russian peacekeepers have been deployed for five years in Karabakh under the trilateral cease-fire deal signed by Baku, Moscow and Yerevan on 10 November 2020. The signed agreement brought an end to six weeks of fighting between Armenia.

The peace agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions and urged Armenia to withdraw its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it has occupied since the early 1990s.

Armenia still fails to withdraw all its troops from Azerbaijan under the ceasefire deal. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and historic Shusha city.