Armenia fires at Azerbaijani positions in Nakhchivan, Gadabay

By Azernews

By Vafa Ismayilova

Azerbaijan's army positions have again come under fire by Armenian troops in Nakhchivan's Sadarak region and western Gadabay region, the Defence Ministry reported on August 12. 

On August 12, from 1740 to 2055 the Armenian armed forces regularly fired at the Azerbaijani army positions in the direction of Heydarabad settlment of Nakhchivan's Sadarak region and Gadabay region's Zamanli settlement from Vedi region's Arazdeyen settlement and Chambarak region's Chambarak, Ttujur settlements. They used large-calibre weapons and sniper rifles, the report added.

The ministry ruled out any casualties among the Azerbaijani army personnel. It added that the opposing side was silenced by retaliatory fire.

The Azerbaijani army units control the operational situation, the ministry said.

On August 11, the Defence Ministry pledged that the Azerbaijani army will continue taking all appropriate measures to thwart Armenia's provocations.

Against the background of escalating tension on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the ministry urged the Russian peacekeepers, which have been temoprarily deployed on Azerbaijan's internationally-recognized territories, to end the illegal deployment of Armenian troops on the areas they currently control. The act is in violation of the ceasefire deal that Baku, Moscow and Yerevan signed on November 10, 2020, to end the 44-day war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Defence Ministry underlined that the Armenian troops are deployed in Karabakh against the background of new Armenian Defence Minister Arshak Karapetyan's irresponsible and provocative order to the Armenian armed forces to use force by any means.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan’s Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov on August 2 instructed the army to be ready for possible Armenian provocation in light of provocations on the border.

The past three weeks saw the worst escalation of tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia since the signing of the November statement that ended the last year’s hostilities.

Nakhchivan's Sadarak region and Kalbajar region, which was liberated from Armenia's occupation last year, have been in the centre of this escalation over the said period.