Armenia violating truce, spreading lies: Azerbaijan

ANKARA

As Armenia continues to violate the cease-fire, Azerbaijan’s forces successfully repulsed the attacks and maintained its superiority, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

Armenian forces used small arms and mortars to target Azerbaijani military positions in Tovuz, Gadabay, and Dashkesan regions, the ministry said in a statement.

It also rejected Armenia’s “completely false” reports regarding the military situation on the front.

“The information spread by the Armenian side that they pushed the Azerbaijan Army units in the southern part of the front back to the previous positions is completely false,” the Azerbaijani ministry said in a separate statement.

“The Azerbaijan Army has complete tactical and firing superiority over the enemy in all areas of the front.”

The ministry also denied Armenia’s claims that Azerbaijani forces had attacked civilians.

“The information spread by the Armenian media that the Azerbaijan Army allegedly fired at civilians again in the Shusha and Khojavend cities this morning is false. Azerbaijan Army does not open fire at the civilians and non-military infrastructure,” read a statement.

According to the Azerbaijani ministry, Armenian forces targeted Fizuli city and its surrounding villages with the Smerch artillery rocket system on Tuesday morning.

Upper Karabakh conflict

Since clashes erupted on Sept. 27, Armenia has repeatedly attacked Azerbaijani civilians and forces, even violating three humanitarian cease-fires since Oct. 10.

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.

About 20% of Azerbaijan's territory – including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions – has been under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades.

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.