Azerbaijan's Anti-Terrorist Activities Done Under Utterly Hard Circumstances - Ex-Colonel

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 26. The 24-hour anti-terrorist activities have left a lasting mark in Azerbaijan's victorious history, a veteran and honorary member of Azerbaijan's security forces, Colonel Azer Garayev told Trend .

According to him, the Azerbaijani army has once again demonstrated its might to the entire world.

Garayev noted that the anti-terrorist activities were conducted in very difficult conditions, just like during the second Karabakh war in 2020.

After the war, Armenia didn't withdraw its armed formations from Karabakh, violating the terms of the trilateral statement of November 10 [signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian leaders following the war], he reminded.

"There was a significant amount of ammunition and heavy equipment in this territory. After the war, Armenian illegal armed formations also carried out fortification work there, and the Armenian armed forces established over 250 positions there," he said. "As a result, these forces carried out various provocations and terrorist acts and made harsh statements against Azerbaijan on Azerbaijani territory. The Azerbaijani Armed Forces gave them a response in just one day."

Garayev also said that one of the primary objectives was to prevent civilian casualties.

"The Azerbaijani Army showed a high level of attention to civilian individuals. Preventing civilian casualties was one of the main tasks set before the Azerbaijani army. The armed units of Armenia intentionally placed weapons and ammunition on civilian facilities in buildings where civilians resided, creating additional difficulties for the Azerbaijani Armed Forces," he pointed out. "Unfavorable weather conditions also posed special challenges for the conduct of counter-terrorism operations. Despite all of this, Azerbaijani servicemen carried out their mission with dignity, demonstrating high professionalism."

Garayev further emphasized that every martyr represents a heavy loss and a great tragedy for families and society as a whole.

"Our people are proud of their martyrs. Displaying great heroism, they eliminated the last separatist strongholds in Karabakh. We are proud of all our martyrs! May Allah rest their souls!" he added.

In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement, suppression of large-scale provocations in Azerbaijan's Karabakh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.

Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement], an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.

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