Azerbaijan Ambassador Alizada thanked Pakistan for moral and diplomatic support
Azerbaijan has launched counter-offensive operations against Armenian aggression to liberate its own internationally-recognized territories and to restore peace in the region. “By 7 October 2020, Azerbaijan Army troops have liberated a total of 25 villages and 1 city” H.E. Mr. Ali Alizada, Ambassador of Azerbaijan shared at a press conference in Islamabad on October 8.
“Azerbaijan wants peace… but Armenia is acting contrary and is trying to consolidate the status quo and its illegal occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh,” he said.
“South Caucasus will never have peace and security until Armenia ends its occupation” he stressed.
– Azerbaijan Ambassador Ali Alizada
Thanked Pakistanis for support to Azerbaijan
Ambassador Ali Alizada thanked the Pakistani people, government, and armed forces for their continuous moral and diplomatic support to Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied lands.
“Azerbaijan urges the world community to take a principled stand, and condemn the aggressive actions of Armenia”, which does not comply with the principles of international law and is regularly targeting more cities and other civilian settlements, he said.
Azerbaijan civilians killed
Armenian forces are deliberately targeting the civilian populations in the towns and villages, including Mingachevir and Ganja – the largest cities of Azerbaijan. At least 31 civilians have been killed and around 160
wounded, meanwhile more than 1000 houses and 142 civilian facilities have been destroyed, according to the Embassy of Azerbaijan.
Armenian losses
Military Attaché Col Mehman Novruzov shared details of the blatant aggression by Armenia and the counter-offensive peace enforcement operation by Azerbaijan forces.
Armenian Army losses as of October 7, 2020:
- Tanks & ACVs – 250
- Artillery & MLRS – 270
- Air Defence Systems – 60
- Command & Control Centers & Command Observation Posts – 11
- Ammunition Depot – 8
- Military vehicles – 150
- S-300 Air Defence System – 1
Fake news war by Armenia
Col Mehman Novruzov also enlightened the Pakistani journalists on how Armenia is using social media to spread fake information and groundless accusations towards Azerbaijan to involve third parties in the conflict. He strongly condemned the rumors and fake news such as the involvement of Pakistani and Turkish troops and Turkish F-16 in military operations by Azerbaijan. Such accusations have has no grounds and evidence, he said.
“Azerbaijan Army’s 100,000 strong force is sufficient to fight a war with Armenian forces, which is far less in number” he maintained.
Foreign fighters
Azerbaijan has evidence that Armenia has transported hundreds of PKK and YPG-linked terrorists from various countries of Middle East and placed them in Nagorno-Karabakh to fight Azerbaijan. “Azerbaijan troops have eliminated number of Kurdish fighters in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan” Col Mehman stated.
Armenia has involved foreign mercenaries and foreign nationals, mainly of Armenian origin, into its armed units illegally deployed in the temporarily occupied territories of Azerbaijan which is “totally illegal action and according to the UN Security Council resolution No. 2178 (2014) these individuals are defined as foreign terrorist fighters” Azeri diplomat Samir Guliyev said.
Azerbaijan demands immediate withdrawal of Armenian troops
Azerbaijan under UN Security Council’s and other international organizations’ resolutions demands the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, the Ambassador insisted. “The responsibility for the escalation of the situation on the frontline lies directly with the Armenian military-political leadership,” H.E. Ali Alizada said.
Armenian armed forces in violation of the norms and principles of international law particularly international humanitarian law, and the 1949 Geneva Conventions are “directly targeting civilians & civilian infrastructure in order to provoke panic among the Azerbaijani nation, but the Azerbaijani nation is strongly united against Armenian aggression.”
Ambassador Alizada concluded the speech affirming “Karabakh is Azerbaijan.”
Nagorno-Karabakh key facts
- It is one of the world’s oldest conflicts, a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
- The region is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan but has been illegally occupied by Armenia since early 1990s.
- By 1993, Armenia’s military aggression resulted in the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory – Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts.
- More than one million Azerbaijanis became IDPs, 20,000 people killed in military operations and 50,000 wounded and disabled during the conflict.
- A full-scale war that started in 1991 lasted for four years until a ceasefire deal in 1994.
- In 2008, the UNGA Resolution reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, expressed support for the country’s internationally recognized borders and demanded the immediate withdrawal of all Armenian forces from all occupied territories.