Artsakh troops to respond with counterattack to any new assault from Azerbaijani side
31.07.2017,
12:43
Lieutenant General Levon Mnatsakanyan, Artsakh (Karabakh) defense minister and army commander, said in an interview with the Armenian Public Television that if Azerbaijan undertakes a new assault, Artsakh’s troops will respond to it with a counterattack.
YEREVAN, July 31. /ARKA/. Lieutenant General Levon Mnatsakanyan, Artsakh (Karabakh) defense minister and army commander, said in an interview with the Armenian Public Television that if Azerbaijan undertakes a new assault, Artsakh’s troops will respond to it with a counterattack.
“In the course of this counterattack we will expand and deepen our security zone and will return our positions which went to the Azerbaijani side’s control in April 2016,” he said in his televised interview.
“We maintain control along the whole extent of the border also in nighttime.”
In his words, Azerbaijan’s last raid came on February 25, and as a result, the Azerbaijani side lost six people, of which five were left on the field and one was badly wounded and later died in a hospital.
Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 when Karabakh, mainly populated by Armenians, declared its independence from Azerbaijan.
On December 10, 1991, a few days after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a referendum took place in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the majority of the population (99.89%) voted for secession from Azerbaijan.
Afterwards, large-scale military operations began. As a result, Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven regions adjacent to it.
Some 30,000 people were killed in this war and about one million people fled their homes.
On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the military operations.
Тalks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group are being held over peaceful settlement of the conflict. The group is co-chaired by USA, Russia and France. --0-----
“In the course of this counterattack we will expand and deepen our security zone and will return our positions which went to the Azerbaijani side’s control in April 2016,” he said in his televised interview.
“We maintain control along the whole extent of the border also in nighttime.”
In his words, Azerbaijan’s last raid came on February 25, and as a result, the Azerbaijani side lost six people, of which five were left on the field and one was badly wounded and later died in a hospital.
Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 when Karabakh, mainly populated by Armenians, declared its independence from Azerbaijan.
On December 10, 1991, a few days after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a referendum took place in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the majority of the population (99.89%) voted for secession from Azerbaijan.
Afterwards, large-scale military operations began. As a result, Azerbaijan lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven regions adjacent to it.
Some 30,000 people were killed in this war and about one million people fled their homes.
On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the military operations.
Тalks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group are being held over peaceful settlement of the conflict. The group is co-chaired by USA, Russia and France. --0-----
