Border clashes between Azerbaijan, Armenia continue

By Ruslan Rehimov

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AA) – Azerbaijani troops continued to inflict heavy blows to the Armenian military amid ongoing border clashes between the two countries.

Azerbaijani artilleries destroyed the command and observation zone of the Armenian army’s 5th Destroyer Regiment, one tank, and three guns, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

It added that the Azerbaijani army continued combat operations on various directions of the front to expand its achievements from the last few days.

The Armenian army opened fire on the villages of Tartar, Barda, Agdam, Agjabedi, Fizuli and Jabrayil in the morning, and the Azerbaijani army gave the necessary response, according to another ministry statement.

- 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 reached 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.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar