Category: 2022

Operation Vengeance: Azeri Bayraktar TB2 drones strike Armenian positions

Hovik Karapetian
Aug 3 2022

PorGASTÓN DUBOIS

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03/08/2022


War lurks again in Nagorno Karabakh. Azerbaijani Bayraktar TB2 drones attack Armenian fortified positions as part of operation Qisas (Vengance).

According to the Azerbaijani Government press release, the drone attacks on Armenian positions are in response to incursions of Armenian armed groups into Azeri territory.

On August 3, members of Armenian armed groups of the Artsakh Defense Army reportedly penetrated into the territory of Azerbaijan, where the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation is temporarily located, violating the provisions of the Ceasefire Declaration of November 9, 2020 and committed an act of sabotage against units of the Azerbaijani army, where an Azerbaijani serviceman was reportedly killed.

In addition, elements of the Armenian armed groups reportedly tried to seize the Kyrghgiz hill, located in the mountain range covering the territory of the Kalbajar and Lachin regions, and establish new fighting positions there.

As a result of this situation, the military command in Baku launched the retaliatory operation «Qisas» (Vengance), whereby Turkish-designed Bayraktar TB2 drones (used with great success by Azerbaijan in the past and by Ukraine at present) were used to attack fortified positions and destroy Armenian war material.

Azerbaijani army forces have reportedly managed to seize several important hills and heights along the Karabakh chain of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range from the Artsakh Defense Army. Currently, Azerbaijani divisions are reportedly engaged in engineering work on the construction of new posts and construction of supply routes.

According to the press release, several fighting positions of Armenian armed elements were destroyed and an air strike was carried out against the military unit in the settlement of Yukhari Oratag in the former region of Aghdara. As a result, several Armenian military personnel were reportedly killed or wounded, and several D-30 howitzers, military vehicles and a large amount of ammunition were reportedly destroyed.

Azerbaijani army forces have reportedly managed to seize several important hills and heights along the Karabakh chain of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range from the Artsakh Defense Army. Currently, Azerbaijani divisions are reportedly engaged in engineering work on the construction of new posts and construction of supply routes.

According to the press release, several fighting positions of Armenian armed elements were destroyed and an air strike was carried out against the military unit in the settlement of Yukhari Oratag in the former region of Aghdara. As a result, several Armenian military personnel were reportedly killed or wounded, and several D-30 howitzers, military vehicles and a large amount of ammunition were reportedly destroyed.

According to this version, Azeri forces had launched at least two unprovoked attacks on positions of the Artsakh Defense Army (Artsakh is the Armenian name for Nagorno Karabakh) at 9am and 3pm (local time), using drones and grenade launchers. Two Armenian soldiers were killed and 15 others were wounded.

https://www.aviacionline.com/2022/08/operation-vengeance-azeri-bayraktar-tb2-drones-strike-armenian-positions/

Azerbaijan, Armenia trade blame of violating ceasefire agreement

Kajoyan Gevork
Siasat
India – Aug 4 2022
 IANS|   Posted by Mansoor Hameed  

Baku: Azerbaijan and Armenia have blamed each other of violating their ceasefire agreement and launching provocation in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

“The illegal Armenian detachments in the territory of Azerbaijan, where the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation is temporarily deployed, fired intensively on the positions of the Azerbaijani Army in the direction of the Lachin region,” Xinhua news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry in Baku as saying on Wednesday.

It added that one Azerbaijani serviceman was killed.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry in Yerevan said in a statement that Azerbaijani forces “once again violating the November 9, 2020, Trilateral Statement of the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan on the cessation of hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, launched aggression in the area of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, resulting in casualties and wounded ones”.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988.

Peace talks have been held since 1994, when a ceasefire was agreed, but there have been sporadic minor clashes since then.

A new round of armed conflict broke out along the contact line on September 27, 2020, before Russia brokered a ceasefire on November 9 of that year.

On November 26, 2021, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, where they agreed on creating mechanisms for demarcation and delimitation of the border between the two nations.

During their previous meeting last April, Aliyev and Pashinyan launched a peace treaty process mediated by the European Union, and they agreed to establish border commissions to work on the border delimitation issue.

Azerbaijan rejects Armenian ungrounded accusations

Emil Lazarian
Pakistan – Aug 4 2022
ByMati
August 4, 2022

BAKU, Azerbaijan: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has strongly rejected the statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry delivered on August 3 with ungrounded accusations against the Azerbaijani side.

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In a statement, the Press Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Azerbaijan said that aaccusations shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia against Azerbaijan in violation of the trilateral statement are nothing but mere hypocrisy.

It said that we remind that Azerbaijan has repeatedly reported Armenia’s failure to fulfill the provisions of the statement on November 10, 2020, signed by the leaders of the three countries, in particular, that the Armenian armed units have not yet been withdrawn from the sovereign territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Pursuant to Article 4 of the trilateral statement reads: “the peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation shall be deployed in parallel with the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces.”

In addition to numerous evidence on the Azerbaijani side about the presence of illegal Armenian armed forces on the territory of Azerbaijan, this fact was also acknowledged by Armenian officials.

Thus, the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Sahak Sahakyan on June 29, 2022 at a meeting with the parents of the recruits from Armenia stated that: “Armenian conscripts in the Karabakh region will be replaced by servicemen of active military service”, as well as the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan in an interview dated July 19, 2022 reminded that “the withdrawal of the units of the Armed Forces of Armenia from Karabakh will be completed by September of this year”.

Both statements contradict the obligations assumed by Armenia, and it clearly demonstrates that Armenia still illegally deploys its armed military formations on the territory of a neighboring state.

Turkish press: Kremlin calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to exercise restraint in Karabakh

Maral Takmazian
Jeyhun Aliyev   |04.08.2022

Russian military control center in Karabakh, Azerbaijan ( Stringer – Anadolu Agency )

ANKARA

The Kremlin on Thursday said it is concerned about the recent situation in the Karabakh region, calling on Armenia and Azerbaijan to exercise restraint and implement the tripartite agreements.

Speaking to reporters in Moscow, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan may exchange views on the situation around Karabakh during a meeting in Sochi on Friday.

Putin and Erdogan will discuss the situation in Ukraine and Syria during the meeting, he also said.

Putin’s schedule does not yet include contacts with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev amid the escalation in Karabakh, according to the Kremlin spokesman, but “it can be quickly organized if necessary.”

Azerbaijan said it launched a retaliatory operation Wednesday against Armenian forces in Karabakh after Armenia opened fire and killed an Azerbaijani soldier, according to its Defense Ministry.

Azerbaijan “took relevant measures” and launched a counter-operation after Armenian forces tried to seize Girkhgiz hill and establish new combat positions, a ministry statement said.

“As a result of the ‘revenge’ retaliatory measure carried out by Azerbaijani Army Units, the Girkhgiz peak, as well as Saribaba along the Karabakh ridge of the Lesser Caucasus and a number of other important heights, were taken under control,” it added.

Separately, the ministry on Thursday reported “full control over the operational situation” in the region.  

Ukraine grain export deal

Meanwhile, touching upon the sustainability of the grain export deal signed in Istanbul, Peskov said this mechanism, established to support the export of grain accumulated in Ukrainian ports, “does not cover a one-time process. We hope it continues to work with the same efficiency.”

The agreement is a “good example of how the most difficult issues can be resolved with the interests of all parties in mind,” he added.

He also said Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “personally made a great contribution.”

Besides, the two leaders are expected to exchange views on the issue of grain shipments during a meeting in Sochi, he noted.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a historic deal on July 22 to reopen three Ukrainian ports — Odesa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny — for grain that has been stuck for months due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which is now in its sixth month.

To oversee Ukrainian grain exports, a joint coordination center (JCC) in Istanbul was officially launched on July 27, comprising representatives from Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine to enable the safe transport by merchant ships of commercial foodstuffs and fertilizers from the three key Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh (Upper Karabakh), a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

During the conflict in fall 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages that had been occupied by Armenia for nearly three decades.

A Russian-brokered deal in November 2020 brought an end to the conflict.

Turkish press: NATO calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to end hostilities

Emil Karabekian
Agnes Szucs   |04.08.2022

BRUSSELS

NATO on Thursday urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to end hostilities as fighting flared up in the region of Karabakh, and expressed support for normalizing relations.

“NATO calls for an immediate end of hostilities between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces,” Javier Colomina, the NATO secretary-general’s special representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, said on Twitter.

He added that the alliance urges both sides to “de-escalate and return to the negotiating table.”

“NATO supports the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Colomina added.

The EU, including the office of Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, and Toivo Klaar, the bloc’s special representative for the South Caucasus, has also been “in intense contact with both sides over the past days,” Anadolu Agency learned from an EU official.

Michel has already spoken with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and will soon talk to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, the source said.

The EU pushes for an “immediate de-escalation” and dialogue on other aspects of the relations, the official added.

Azerbaijan said it launched a retaliatory operation on Wednesday against Armenian forces in the Karabakh region after Armenia opened fire and killed an Azerbaijani soldier, according to its Defense Ministry.

Relations between the former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh (Upper Karabakh), a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

After new clashes during the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and over 300 settlements and villages occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.

The fighting ended in November 2020 with a Russia-brokered deal.

In a statement, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said it has repeatedly pointed out Armenia’s failure to fulfill the provisions of the agreement, particularly how the Armenian armed forces have not yet pulled out of Azerbaijani territories.

Armenpress: Artsakh says all injuries among wounded troops are from drone strikes

Ekmekjian Janet

Artsakh says all injuries among wounded troops are from drone strikes

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 00:04, 4 August 2022

YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. The Minister of Healthcare of Artsakh Mikayel Hayriyan says that 2 soldiers of the Defense Army were killed and 19 others were wounded in the August 3 Azeri attack.

“Those wounded suffered the injuries from drone [strikes],” Hayriyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “At this moment we have 19 wounded, and unfortunately two dead [soldiers]. 4 of those wounded are in serious condition, 1 of whom is critical. The others are in mild and moderate condition,” the minister said.

Some of the troops who were lightly wounded have been transferred to Yerevan for treatment, but the soldier who is in critical condition is being treated at the Republican Medical Center of Artsakh.

On August 3, the Azerbaijani military used mortars, grenade-launchers, combat UAVs in attacking a permanent deployment location of an Artsakh military base.

United States urges immediate steps to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation in Nagorno Karabakh

Karagyozian Lena

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 07:07, 4 August 2022

YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. The , State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

“The United States is deeply concerned by and closely following reports of intensive fighting around Nagorno-Karabakh, including casualties and the loss of life.  We urge immediate steps to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation.

The recent increase in tensions underscores the need for a negotiated, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement of all remaining issues related to or resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Price said.

On August 3, two Artsakh soldiers were killed and around 20 others were wounded when Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire and launched an attack on Artsakh military positions. The Azerbaijani military used mortars, grenade-launchers, combat UAVs in attacking a permanent deployment location of an Artsakh military base.

Congresswoman Jackie Speier calls for termination of all U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan after deadly attack in Artsakh

Khondkarian Raffi

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 07:18, 4 August 2022

YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. United States Congresswoman Jackie Speier is calling on Washington to pull all U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan immediately after the latest deadly Azeri attacks in Artsakh.

“Aliyev will only stop his bloody drone strike campaign against the people of Artsakh if/when the U.S. shows leadership & strength. Pull all U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan immediately until it comes to the negotiating table,” Congresswoman Speier tweeted.

On August 3, two Artsakh soldiers were killed and around 20 others were wounded when Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire and launched an attack on Artsakh military positions. The Azerbaijani military used mortars, grenade-launchers, combat UAVs in attacking a permanent deployment location of an Artsakh military base.

Congressman Pallone calls for every US diplomatic tool available to halt Aliyev’s dangerous actions

David Nargizian

Congressman Pallone calls for every US diplomatic tool available to halt Aliyev’s dangerous actions

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 09:07, 4 August 2022

YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. United States Congressman Frank Pallone is calling on Washington to “use every diplomatic tool available to halt Aliyev’s dangerous actions” following the latest Azerbaijani attacks in Artsakh.

“This is the latest example of Aliyev threatening the people of Artsakh over absurd demands like the closing of the Lachin corridor. I urge the US State Department and the US Mission to OSCE to condemn these actions and use every diplomatic tool available to halt Aliyev’s dangerous actions,” Pallone tweeted.

On August 3, two Artsakh soldiers were killed and around 20 others were wounded when Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire and launched an attack on Artsakh military positions. The Azerbaijani military used mortars, grenade-launchers, combat UAVs in attacking a permanent deployment location of an Artsakh military base.

Policy of ethnic cleansing carried out by Azerbaijan is international crime – Ambassador-at-Large Marukyan

Arpi Talalian

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 10:05, 4 August 2022

YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. What Azerbaijan has recently carried out in Nagorno Karabakh is ethnic cleansing, Ambassador-at-Large of Armenia Edmon Marukyan said in a statement on social media.

“What Azerbaijan has been recently conducting in Nagorno Karabakh is called ethnic cleansing in international law. The policy of ethnic cleansings carried out by Azerbaijan is an international crime. Sooner or later, it will bring the Azerbaijani leadership into responsibility.

Our partners of international structures should clearly distinguish between the victim of the situation and the perpetrator of ethnic cleansing. Only in that case the vague, toothless statements directed to both sides will be replaced by clearly targeted ones, raising the question of responsibility and stopping the policy of ethnic cleansings. There is no other way”, Edmon Marukyan said.

On August 3, two Artsakh soldiers were killed and around 20 others were wounded when Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire and launched an attack on Artsakh military positions. The Azerbaijani military used mortars, grenade-launchers, combat UAVs in attacking a permanent deployment location of an Artsakh military base.