Azerbaijani forces destroy 10 more Armenian tanks

By Ruslan Rehimov

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AA) - During ongoing operations to liberate territories under Armenian occupation, the Azerbaijani army has destroyed or disabled 10 more Armenian tanks, said an official statement Thursday.

Also destroyed in armed clashes on Oct. 7 were six D-20 howitzers, one Akatsia self-propelled artillery, and 30 different types and models of military vehicles, said Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry in a statement.

The latest data says that since the Armenian army attacked on Sept. 27, it lost 260 tanks and armored vehicles, 277 artillery and rocket systems, 60 air defense systems, one S-300 long-range air defense system, 11 command and control and observation posts, eight ammunition depots, and 180 military trucks and vehicles.

- Upper Karabakh conflict

The fighting began on Sept. 27, when Armenian forces targeted civilian Azerbaijani settlements and military positions in the region, leading to casualties.

Relations between the two ex-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 many international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the invading forces.

The OSCE Minsk Group – co-chaired by France, Russia, and the US – was formed in 1992 to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, but to no avail. A cease-fire, however, was agreed upon in 1994.

Many world powers, including Russia, France, and the US, have urged an immediate cease-fire.

Turkey, meanwhile, has supported Baku's right to self-defense and demanded the withdrawal of Armenia’s occupying forces.

* Written by Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara