After the ceasefire which was declared in accordance with the statement signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia on November 10, Armenian troops stayed in the forest area in the northwestern part of Hadrut settlement of Khojavend region of Azerbaijan, AzVision.az reports citing the joint statement issued by the Ministry of Defense and the State Security Service of Azerbaijan.

The statement reads as follows:

"The Armenian media reported that the armed groups were lost in the forest. Therefore, the Armenian side appealed to the command of the peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation to evacuate them from the territory.

The Azerbaijani side provided all the conditions for the withdrawal of the Armenian Armed groups. Russian peacekeepers arrived in the area in difficult weather conditions, appealed to the Armenian Armed Forces in the forest area with sound equipment, and said that necessary measures were taken to evacuate them from the area.

In general, the peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation have fulfilled their responsibilities with high professionalism to evacuate the so-called "missing" Armenian servicemen.

These Armenian armed groups did not leave the area, instead created battle positions and in recent days committed acts of terror, sabotage, and provocation against Azerbaijani civilians and military servicemen in the area. Thus, on November 26, 2020, an Armenian attack killed 3 Azerbaijani servicemen and wounded 2 in the Sur village, Khojavend region, which was liberated from the Armenian occupation. On December 8, one Azerbaijani serviceman was killed and an employee of 'Azercell' company got seriously wounded by the Armenian troops during the installation of transmission equipment near the Hadrut settlement. 

Considering all the facts listed above, the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan started to conduct an anti-terror operation in the relevant area.

Some Armenian leaders and the Armenian media make baseless allegations against the Russian peacekeeping forces and the Azerbaijani side in this case, which is totally unacceptable. 

The Armenian side must ensure the implementation of the provisions of the trilateral statement, the protection of ceasefire and peace regime, refrain from provocations, deliberate aggravation of the situation, and use of such cases for domestic political purposes through the Armenian armed groups who are still in the area.

Adhering to the provisions of the trilateral statement, the Republic of Azerbaijan continues its efforts to ensure peace in the region in close coordination and cooperation with the peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation".

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