Azerbaijan says it broke through Armenian military lines in Nagorno-Karabakh

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The Azerbaijani military on Tuesday broke through lines of Armenian troops in Nagorno-Karabakh in an effort to drive Armenian forces out of the region, Reuters reports. While Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, its mostly ethnic Armenian population claims the area is their ancestral homeland and has actively resisted Azerbaijani control of it for over 100 years.

Describing Tuesday’s operation as “local anti-terrorist activities,” the Azerbaijan’s ministry of defense said its aim was “disarm and secure the withdrawal of formations of Armenia’s armed forces from our territories, [and] neutralize their military infrastructure,” the Guardian UK reported.

In a statement to Reuters, Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy adviser to President Ilham Aliyev, said Azerbaijan was willing to hold talks with Karabakh Armenians once they surrender. Hajiyev added that his country has no territorial issue or military objectives in neighboring Armenia itself.

“The intention of Azerbaijan is to close a chapter of animosity and confrontation,” Hajiyev said. “Enough is enough. We cannot tolerate any longer having such armed forces on our territory and also a structure which, on a daily basis, challenges the security and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.”

Azerbaijan is majority Muslim, and Armenia is majority Christian, although analysts have downplayed suggestions that the ongoing conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh is religiously motivated, the Guardian noted.

Latest Worthy News