Azerbaijan liberates Qubadli's city center from occupation

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) - Baku has liberated the city center of Qubadli and some villages from Armenian occupation, Azerbaijan's president said on Sunday.

Ilham Aliyev said on Twitter that Azerbaijani army liberated the city center, as well as some villages in Qubadli, Zengilan and Jabrayil.

“Long live Azerbaijan’s Army! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!” he added, referring to efforts to liberate Upper Karabakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh, from nearly 30 years of Armenian occupation.

- Upper Karabakh conflict

Since new clashes erupted between the two countries on Sept. 27, Armenia has continued its attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Upper Karabakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.

Multiple UN resolutions, as well as international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the occupying forces.

About 20% of Azerbaijan's territory has remained under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades.

World powers, including Russia, France, and the US, have urged a new cease-fire. Turkey, meanwhile, has supported Baku's right to self-defense and demanded the withdrawal of Armenia's occupying forces.