Will the antiterrorist operation in Karabakh continue?

Baku/04.08.22/Turan: As a result of a terrorist act of sabotage committed on August 3 by members of illegal Armenian armed formations in the territory of Karabakh against units of the Azerbaijani Army, a military serviceman Kazymov Anar Rustam oglu  was killed,  the statement of the Ministry of Defense in connection with yesterday's battles in Karabakh. He was  interred in the Shamkir region.

Units of the Azerbaijan Army  conducted the Antiterrorist Operation (ATO) "Retribution", and took under control the heights of Gyrkhgyz, Sarybaba and other dominant heights along the Karabakh ridge of the Lesser Caucasus. Several fortifications of illegal Armenian formations were destroyed, an air strike was carried out on a military unit in the Yukhari Oratagh settlement of the former Agdere region;  illegal Armenian formations have losses in killed and wounded, as well as several D-30 howitzers, military equipment and a large amount of ammunition have been destroyed.

Will such anti-terrorist operations continue?

Military expert Tarlan Eyvazov answers this question in the "Difficult Question" program.

Eyvazov said that conducting ATO was expected. One of the reasons for this is the non-fulfillment of the condition of the statement signed by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin on the night of November 9-10, 2020 (hereinafter referred to as the “Statement”.)

“Obligations of the Russian and Armenian sides to ensure the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from Karabakh and contribute to the achievement of a peace agreement in accordance with the “trilateral statement of November 9-10, 2020” (hereinafter referred to as the "Statement"), were not fulfilled. Although Azerbaijan has fulfilled all its obligations. This includes the provision of a corridor, and the construction of a new route for movement along the Lachin corridor, providing a connection between the Armenian-populated part of Karabakh and Armenia.”

Eyvazov also noted that since signing the Statement, our special forces had to conduct anti-terrorist operations twice.

“First time,  our military neutralized 162 servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces, and  second time -151. In addition, the subversive activities of the separatist regime in Khankendi aimed at disrupting the “Statement” did not stop for a minute. Over time, Armenian illegal armed groups began shelling our servicemen,” he recalled.

The expert also drew attention to the presence of heavy weapons in the Armenian illegal armed formations. “Yesterday it turned out that these illegal armed formations have howitzers and armored vehicles in their arsenal. And since the Russian peacekeeping contingent did not take any measures to disarm or withdraw these illegal armed formations from Karabakh, our troops have to do this,” he stressed.

According to Eyvazov, another reason for the ATO is the delay by Armenians in the construction of a new road to bypass the Lachin corridor, which should connect Khankendi with Armenia and replace the existing road through the city of Lachin and the village of Zabukh.

“The new Lachin road is being prepared for commissioning. However, the Armenians have not even begun to build a new bypass road. They are trying to delay this process. They also drag out the issue of the Zangezur corridor,” the expert believes.

Eyvazov noted, “the taking of Gyrkhgyz, Sarybaba and other heights under control by our armed forces is dictated by the need to ensure the safety of the inhabitants of Lachin, who will soon return to their homes, as well as to ensure the safety of movement along the new Lachin road” .-0-