Azerbaijan Commences Anti-Terrorism Operation Following 6 Casualties in Nagorno-Karabakh
The Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan has announced the commencement of an anti-terrorism operation to 'restore constitutional order' in Karabakh on Tuesday, just hours after Baku accused 'sabotage groups' of detonating mines, resulting in the deaths of six Azerbaijanis in the region.
The statement from the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan also mentioned that the leadership of the Russian Federation's peacekeeping contingent and the Turkish-Russian monitoring centre had been informed of the initiation of these measures.
According to initial reports, Armenian armed forces positioned in the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed, subjected Azerbaijani army positions in the direction of the Aghdam district to intensive shelling, employing weapons of various calibres.
The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry clarified that, 'Within the framework of the actions with the use of high-precision weapons on the front line and in-depth, the positions of the Armenian armed forces, their long-term firing points, as well as military equipment and objects of military purpose are disabled, the civilian population and objects of civilian infrastructure are not targets, only legitimate military targets are disabled.'
The ministry emphasized that, like any other country in the world, Azerbaijan has the right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with international law.
Official comments from Armenia regarding the outbreak of hostilities in the Karabakh region have not been provided at this time.
The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia continues to escalate despite ongoing negotiations for a long-term peace agreement.
Nagorno-Karabakh, located in the South Caucasus, has long been a source of tension between the neighbouring nations, leading to two wars fought over it. Initially, Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh during the early 1990s. Azerbaijan regained control over a significant portion of Nagorno-Karabakh during a six-week conflict in 2020.
The war concluded with a ceasefire agreement in Nagorno-Karabakh, signed by Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia, which deployed 'peacekeeping forces' to the region. Under this agreement, the Armenian side ceded substantial territories in Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.
Currently, there is a worsening situation along the line of contact, marked by clashes, position shelling, and an increase in military personnel on both sides.