Defense Ministry: Azerbaijani side does not shell civilians, civilian settlements

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 13 Trend: The Azerbaijani side does not shell civilians and civilian settlements, said Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Trend reports on July 13. "On her Facebook page, Spokesperson for the Armenian Ministry of Defense Shushan Stepanyan said that the Azerbaijani army allegedly fired at Chinari village by using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars,” the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said. “Reportedly, one of the shells hit a residential building, some people were wounded." “This information is false. The Azerbaijani side does not fire at civilians and civilian settlements," the ministry stated. Starting from noon on July 12, units of the armed forces of Armenia, grossly violating the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan’s Tovuz district along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, opened artillery fire at Azerbaijani positions. Azerbaijan's armed response forced the Armenian army to retreat suffering losses. Azerbaijani personnel, sergeant of military service Vugar Sadigov and corporal Elshad Mammadov, died while repelling the attack of the Armenian armed forces. Despite the efforts of the Azerbaijani doctors, severely wounded serviceman of the Azerbaijani army Khayyam Dashdemirov also died. The tension remained in Tovuz district on the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on July 12 night. During the night battles, by using artillery, mortars and tanks, the Azerbaijani armed forces destroyed a stronghold, bombshells, vehicles and servicemen on the territory of the Armenia’s military unit. Azerbaijani serviceman, senior lieutenant Rashad Mahmudov was killed during the battles. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.