UPDATE 5 - Azerbaijan neutralizes 2,300 Armenian soldiers

ADDS AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTRY STATEMENT; UPDATES DECK; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Ruslan Rehimov and Jeyhun Aliyev

BAKU / ANKARA (AA) - Azerbaijani troops have neutralized at least 2,300 Armenian soldiers since Sunday, when border clashes broke out with Armenian forces targeting Azerbaijani civilian settlements and military positions.

In a statement, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said the Armenian soldiers were either killed or wounded in counterattacks launched to liberate its occupied territories.

It also said some 130 tanks and armored vehicles, more than 200 artillery and missile systems, around 25 air defense systems, six command and observation areas, five ammunition depots, almost 50 anti-tank guns and 55 cars were destroyed between Sept. 27-30.

An Armenian battalion serving under the 1st Army Command, which was deployed in the Tonashen village of Tartar city, abandoned its position and fled with heavy losses, the ministry said.

The ministry also said that the Armenian army used Tochka-U, a Soviet high-precision tactical ballistic missile, against Azerbaijani forces.

"Due to the unsuitability and poor quality of the enemy’s military equipment, three of the missiles fired did not explode," said the statement.

Also, Azerbaijan's forces hit another Armenian battalion serving under the 1st Army Command deployed in the Aghdara region.

Earlier, the ministry said Armenia targeted Azerbaijan's Tartar city with artillery shooting Wednesday morning.

Infrastructure suffered damage in the region, while no civilians were injured in the attacks, it said.

The Azerbaijani army hit the command area of the 41st regiment of the 18th motorized division of the Armenian Armed Forces, it also said.

"The command of the Armenian forces in this region was completely destroyed. There are many dead and wounded among military personnel. Regiment command asks for help to evacuate the wounded," Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry added.

Also, the Azerbaijani army besieged the Armenian forces in the Aghdara-Tartar area, the ministry said.

It added that the 4th Battalion of the Armenian Armed Forces moving towards the Fuzuli district was brought under intense shelling, the ministry added.

After the attacks, "the enemy suffered heavy losses in terms of manpower and military equipment," it said.

Meanwhile, the Armenian army also targeted the Azerbaijani village of Ashagi Agjakend in the Goranboy district with artillery shooting.

The Azerbaijani forces will effectively respond to prevent attacks on civilian settlements, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said.

Azerbaijan's parliament declared Sunday a state of war in some cities and areas, following Armenia's border violations and attacks in the occupied Upper Karabakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, region.

Azerbaijan declared partial military mobilization on Monday.

Since Armenia’s attacks last Sunday, tensions have continued to escalate, with Turkey firmly standing with Azerbaijan.

- Upper Karabakh conflict

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

Four UN Security Council and two UN General Assembly resolutions, as well as many international organizations, demand the withdrawal of the occupying 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.

The EU, Russia, and NATO, among others, have urged an immediate halt to clashes along the frontier.

* Writing by Faruk Zorlu from Ankara