Armenian MoD admits its saboteurs entered Azerbaijan's territory

The Armenian Defence Ministry reported two missing servicemen at the border on May 26.

The ministry stated that the connection with the servicemen was lost at about 19:00 on May 26, Caliber.Az reports, quoting Armenian media.  

Earlier, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces prevented an attempt of Armenian saboteurs to break through the Zangilan direction of the state border. In this vein, two saboteurs were detained.

The remaining members of the sabotage group fled, taking advantage of the difficult terrain.

On September 27, 2020, the decades-old conflict between the two countries spiralled after Armenia’s forces deployed in occupied Azerbaijani lands shelled military positions and civilian settlements of Azerbaijan. During counter-attack operations, Azerbaijani forces liberated over 300 settlements, including the cities of Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, and Shusha, from a nearly 30-year-long illegal Armenian occupation. The war ended in a statement signed on November 10, 2020, under which Armenia also returned the occupied Aghdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin districts to Azerbaijan.

On October 20, 2020, Azerbaijan liberated the city of Zangilan, Minjivan, Aghbend, Bartaz settlements, Bartaz, Sighirt, Shukurataz and 5 other unnamed heights and 52 villages in the district from Armenian occupation during the Second Karabakh War.

In total, there are more than 43,000 natives of Zangilan District, who were forced to leave their homes and flee to save their lives during the first Karabakh War. Over 90 per cent of them have already expressed a desire to return to their native lands.