Azerbaijani MoD: Russia distorts facts about armed incident on Khankendi-Khalfali-Turshsu road

We regret to note that on March 6 the Russian Ministry of Defence distorted facts and disseminated in its bulletin unreliable information on the armed incident that took place yesterday on the Khankendi-Khalfali-Turshsu road, Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said in a statement.

"On March 5, based on operative information, an attempt was made by units of the Azerbaijani Army to stop and check the vehicle of Armenian military formations carrying out illegal military transportation from Armenia. When approaching the vehicle, our servicemen were fired at with automatic weapons by members of an Armenian armed group in the vehicle, as a result of which two servicemen were killed and one wounded. Three members of an illegal Armenian gang were killed and one was wounded by return fire. Portraying these soldiers, fully equipped with weapons and ammunition, as police officers carrying out 'passport and visa' services is nothing short of hypocritical," the ministry said, according to Caliber.Az.

"The disseminated information on the provision of first aid and the evacuation of our servicemen injured in the incident by representatives of the Russian peacekeeping contingent does not correspond to reality. The evacuation of our martyrs and the wounded soldiers from the area was carried out by our servicemen.

Contrary to the provisions of the trilateral declaration, Armenia continues to supply arms, ammunition, military supplies, and other equipment to the illegal Armenian armed formations in the Karabakh Economic Region of Azerbaijan, as well as personnel rotation. The Russian peacekeeping contingent must carry out its duties in order to prevent such unacceptable situations immediately," the ministry said.

The ministry stressed that the policy of mine terror carried out by Armenia against Azerbaijan continues to this day.

"Despite repeated warnings from the Azerbaijani side, our civilians and military personnel are becoming victims of mines illegally imported and installed on the territory of Azerbaijan. Thus, as a result of a mine explosion that occurred on March 4 in the Karabakh Economic Region, another of our servicemen was injured. In 2021, the facts of the mass import of mines produced by Armenia along the Lachin road to the territory of Azerbaijan were established, and their establishment. A study visit to this territory was organized by representatives of the Turkish-Russian Joint Monitoring Center and military attaches," the ministry added.

In response to such actions of Armenia and illegal Armenian military formations and the death of our serviceman, the Azerbaijani army conducted a "Revenge" Operation in August 2022, the MoD said.

"We once again warn that the transportation of military goods by Armenia into the territory of Azerbaijan, the dispatch and rotation of personnel of the Armenian armed forces must be stopped immediately and once and for all, and Armenian troops must be completely withdrawn from the territory of our country. Otherwise, the Azerbaijani side will be forced to take absolutely necessary measures toward disarming and neutralizing the illegal armed formations using all possible means.

Such actions by Armenia are regarded as a continuation of military aggression.

The events that have taken place and the continuation of illegal military transports by Armenia into the sovereign territory of our country once again confirm the need to ensure the control regime on the Lachin road in the territory of Azerbaijan," Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said in a statement.