Anadolu Agency on Azerbaijani border amid tensions

By Ruslan Rehimov

BAKU (AA) - Anadolu Agency teams visited Azerbaijan's border with Armenia to first-hand witness the situation on ground amid heightened tensions.

The team shot footage of one of the Azeri positions along the border which was attacked by the Armenian army on July 12-16.

The footage shows Azerbaijani soldiers staying on alert against possible Armenian attacks and watching all movement on the opposite side.

Last week, attacks by the Armenian side martyred a dozen Azerbaijani soldiers. However, they have since withdrawn after suffering losses following retaliation from the Azerbaijani military.

The team observed Azerbaijani soldiers are in high spirits and are sufficiently equipped.

A military officer, Penah Masiyev said they will not allow the "enemy" to step on their land, adding that Turkish support to Azerbaijan in this hour of need meant a lot.

Lt. Ulvu Velizade said that they responded to Armenian provocations with equal force.

"We will not even give a handspan of land to the enemy. We feel our Turkish brothers' support every single minute," he said.

Sgt. Ahmet Agayev said that they are always ready to fight for their territorial integrity and sovereignty.

After the Armenian attacks, the Azerbaijani army saw thousands of young volunteers applying for service, with the figure at 24,000 in the last two days.

Since 1991 the Armenian military has illegally occupied the Upper Karabakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) region, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

Four UN Security Council and two UN General Assembly resolutions, as well as decisions by many international organizations, refer to the illegal occupation and demand the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Upper Karabakh and seven other occupied regions of Azerbaijan.