Two civilians killed, eight injured in Armenian attacks

BAKU, Azerbaijan

Two Azeri civilians were killed and eight wounded in Armenian attacks over the last three days, according to officials from Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry.

The officials said the attacks were carried out by heavy weaponry on the Armenian-Azeri border and that many villages close to the front were damaged. "Over 200 homes were damaged in the cities of Aghdam and Terter," said the officials.

The officials also took local and foreign reporters, including Anadolu Agency reporters, to the frontline targeted by Armenian troops.

"Bullets hit many homes in the village of Mahrizli in Aghdam, which is one of the areas Armenian troops opened fire on in clashes. In this village alone, 26 homes were damaged in the last three days; of those, four were completely destroyed," said an Anadolu Agency reporter.

Speaking on the frontline, Azeri Defense Ministry spokesperson Col. Vagif Dergahli said the Armenian army had shelled Azeri civilian positions with howitzers, mortars, and BM21 Grad rocket launchers.

Stating that Armenia used weapons banned by international agreements in an "explicit example of aggressive policy" against Azerbaijan, Dergahli said: "The Azerbaijani army has just been ordered to retaliate on Armenian firing points. We are striking blows at the firing points of the Armenian army, not its [civilian] nationals.”

Armenia has been increasing the tension, flouting a deal to stop the border fighting, the ministry said in a statement.

Since 1993, Armenian militia have occupied the Karabakh region, which was referred as being part of Azerbaijan in three UN Security Council resolutions (853, 874 and 884) and UN General Assembly resolutions 19/13 and 57/298.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) also refers to the territory as being under the occupation of Armenian forces.