Azerbaijani forces inflict more losses on Armenian army

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) - Armenia’s army continued to suffer losses amid its attacks on Azerbaijani soldiers and civilian areas despite a cease-fire, Baku’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

“During the day on Nov. 3 and night on Nov. 4, the Armenian armed forces fired at the positions of the units of Azerbaijan Army in different directions of the front and our human settlements with various small arms, howitzers and mortars,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The combat operations continued with varying intensity, mainly in the Tartar, Aghdam, Khojavend, Zangilan and Gubadli directions of the front,” it added.

Armenian forces were “forced to retreat with casualties in personnel and military vehicles in some areas of the front,” the statement said.

“During the day and at nighttime, a large number of enemy forces, 2 - T-72 tanks, 3 - D-30 howitzer-guns, 1 - "Zastava M-55" anti-aircraft gun, 1 - tactical UAV, 3 - military trucks were destroyed and wrecked,” it added.

- Upper Karabakh conflict

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.

Fresh clashes erupted on Sept. 27, and since then Armenia has repeatedly attacked Azerbaijani civilians and forces, even violating three humanitarian cease-fires.

While world powers have called for a sustainable cease-fire, Turkey has supported Baku's right to self-defense and demanded the withdrawal of Armenia's occupying forces.

Multiple UN resolutions also call for the withdrawal of the occupying forces.