ANKARA

Azerbaijan's state news agency thanked Anadolu Agency on Sunday for its reporting on the liberation of a town in Upper Karabakh from Armenia.

The head of Azertac news agency, Aslan Aslanov, told Anadolu Agency's Director-General Senol Kazanci in a letter that he was honored to read the news that the town of Jabrayil, where he was born and raised, had been liberated from Armenian occupation.

Expressing his gratitude to Kazanci, Aslanov noted that Anadolu Agency has always been a friend, brother and support. "Allah bless you and all Anadolu Agency staff."

Earlier, Kazanci had sent a congratulatory message to Aslanov after the town was reclaimed by Azerbaijani forces.

"We are also happy to present the developments in the process of ending the unjust occupation that had been ongoing for 30 years, to you, as well as the world media and in this way to the peoples of the world," Kazanci said.

The brotherhood between Anadolu Agency and Azertac, in line with the "two states, one nation" principle, will continue forever, he added.

Azerbaijan's armed forces liberated Jabrayil from Armenian occupation amid ongoing border clashes in Upper Karabakh, President Ilham Aliyev had announced early on Sunday.

The operations launched by Azerbaijan's armed forces to reclaim occupied territories continue, security sources said on the condition of anonymity.

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

Upper Karabakh conflict

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Upper 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.