But it is not war that is going on at the moment, but anti-terrorism actions are being carried out. These are localized anti-terrorism actions aimed at restoring the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan across the entire territory of the country. The official news reports also portray it this way.
The Azerbaijani side has done its best to avoid military clashes. Official Baku has made many attempts to prevent this. I would even say that it has made sacrifices. But provocations of the separatists and their patrons never stopped. We extended a hand of peace, and they shot at us.
Armenia’s mine terror against Azerbaijan also continues unabated. On September 19 at around 4:00 a.m. Samir Sadikhov, born in 1970, and Farhad Guliyev, born in 1965, were killed when their truck was blown up on an anti-tank mine in Khojavand District.
We heard today that our 7 police officers had been martyred. They, too, were killed as a result of a sabotage by an Armenian subversive group. There are wounded police officers as well.
It is imperative to mention the inflammatory position of the Armenian authorities. The Pashinyan government has done nothing to avoid escalation. On the contrary, it pursued a policy of adding more fuel on the blazing fire. The place from where the separatists get their power is, of course, Armenia, official Yerevan. The Armenian Defense Ministry has taken a strange stance since the start of the anti-terrorism efforts. It is as if what is happening in Karabakh has nothing to do with them. This may be a deliberate move to escape responsibility.
The question that now concerns the public at large is: will Azerbaijan enter Khankendi this time? This is where the head of the snake is. Khankendi is the military, political and ideological center of the separatists. Stability will be impossible not only in Karabakh, but also in the South Caucasus until the central hotbed of separatism is extinguished.
That is why the Azerbaijani public wants the state to take control of Khankendi. “In order to restore the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan across the country, localized anti-terrorism actions have been launched,” the official statement says. Khankendi is part of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s territory, both under national and international law. Azerbaijan has the right to ensure sovereignty in all of its territories.
The phrase “restoration of constitutional order” means that Khankendi will come under the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan. Our historical city will be governed by our laws and our flag will fly there. The separatists have illegal armed groups, facilities throughout the city. After they are neutralized, it will be possible to take control of Khankendi even without fighting. There will be no need for street fighting like in Shusha.
The local Armenian population will not resist. The civilians there are being held hostage by the Karabakh junta regime. The Azerbaijani state must also secure absolute control of the city to save its Armenian citizens from this regime. Preparations for this have already been made. Official SMS messages have been sent to Armenians in Karabakh.
Today’s anti-terrorism operations are not targeting areas with civilian populations. Only illegal military facilities are being neutralized. Even in the 44-day Patriotic War, Azerbaijan did not target civilian towns and facilities. Armenia and the separatist regime, on the other hand, launched missile strikes on our peaceful cities, killing hundreds of our civilians, including children and the elderly.
Three years ago, we embarked on this path with faith. That faith brought us a great victory. And we believe that very soon we will hear the long-awaited words: “Dear Khankendi, you are free now!”
Azer Aykhan
Translated from Globalinfo.az
