General Rafig Agaev Denied Speech of Advocates of Ibad Huseynov

After the sensational statements of the former Defense Intelligence Agency chief Talib Mamedov on the innocence of Ibad Huseynov in destroying the terrorist Monte Melkonian, the supporters of Huseynov (soldiers of Battalions 831 and 161) supported his statement, refuting the allegations of Mammadov.

In particular, they argued that the battalion, in which Ibad Huseynov served, was part of the Second Corps of the national army under General Rafig Agaev.

After the commando group under the command of Ibad Huseynov made operations behind enemy lines (10-13 June 1993), destroying Monte Melkonian, "trophies taken from the Armenians were put on the table of the corps commander," it said in the statement.

The supporters of Ibad Huseynov also claimed that the operation against Melkonian was prepared and issued by the Ministry of National Security and the evidence is still stored in the MNS (the terrorist's hair and part of the skin).

In this regard, the agency Turan asked General Rafig Agayev to comment on this statement.

"I was brought no trophies from such an operation and the units entrusted to me did not destroy Melkonian," said the General.

To the question whether it could have been done by MNS or by Self-Defense Forces with the support of MNS, the General also gave a negative answer.

"I had very good and regular contact with the security minister Fakhraddin Tahmazov. If something like that had been prepared or carried out, I would have been informed of such actions. Without the support of the military, such actions could not have been carried out" said the General.

At the same time, he did not rule out that some groups of self-defense could have done this on their own initiative.

"The area of ??responsibility of the Corps was held from Agdam to Zanghelan. At that time, we had orders not to conduct offensive operations, but only to defend ourselves. Although we were able to go on the offensive and even take Martuni, I was told not to. The main task was to protect Agdam, as the Armenians had launched an operation to block the town and to launch an offensive into other areas," said Rafik Agaev.

In turn, the retired Colonel of the Ministry of National Security, Gunduz Shabanov, who was part of the operation in the war zone during the period, denied that his department conducted an operation to kill Monte Melkonian. "Such operations were not arranged by our forces behind enemy lines," said Shabanov.

He also said that operations against terrorists of this scale are carried out by special forces. So, if something like this was planned, the action would not be entrusted to the local self-defense forces. At the same time, the colonel said that during the war there had been instances when local self-defense forces staged raids behind enemy lines without a permit and without notifying the military and it is possible that in this case this is what we are talking about.

Another source in the Ministry of National Security, who asked to remain anonymous, said that no hair or skin of Melkonian is kept in the MNS. -02B-