Safikhanli noted that on April 2, 2016, the Armenian armed forces suddenly subjected the Azerbaijani territories, numerous settlements in front-line regions, where the civilian population lives, schools and other social facilities, as well as the positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces along the line of contact of troops to heavy shelling using heavy artillery and large-caliber weapons.
As a result, civilians, including women and children, were killed and seriously wounded, he added.
The head of Ombudsman Office said that as a result of this war crime committed by the armed forces of Armenia, the requirements of international documents, including the Geneva Conventions, were grossly violated.
“In general, principles of international law and the UN Charter should be the main sources to be referred to in the solution of international problems and conflicts. Due to the fact that during the April events, the international community, as always, took a wait-and-see position, Azerbaijan itself exercised its right for protection from aggression and responded to the aggressor’s actions in accordance with the UN Charter,” he added.
On the night of Apr. 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire from Armenian armed forces. As a result of artillery shelling of Azerbaijan’s settlements, located near the line of contact, six civilians were killed, including two children aged under 16, and 26 people were seriously injured.
During the four days of fighting, Azerbaijani Armed Forces liberated the heights near the Talish village, as well as the Seysulan settlement, which could pose a threat to the safety of the Goranboy district and Naftalan city.
Azerbaijan took over control of the Lele Tepe strategic height, located near the Fuzuli district, which allows controlling a large territory. Also, as a result of the April battles, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces took under control the roads in the Aghdere-Madaghiz direction.
Thirty tanks, up to 15 artillery mounts and fortifications belonging to Armenia were destroyed, 320 Armenian soldiers were killed and more than 500 of the enemy’s servicemen were wounded during the battles.
The military operations were stopped on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops on Apr. 5 at 12:00 (UTC/GMT + 4 hours) upon mutual agreement of the sides.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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