Karabakh: Azerbaijan emplaces artillery positions in populated areas on frontline

Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces have created firing positions in populated areas near the frontline, pulling artillery and armored vehicles and shelling and mortaring the Karabakh positions and peaceful populated areas mostly at night hours. The Defense Army of the Nagorno-Karabakh says the Azerbaijani military command is hiding behind the peaceful population and turning civilians into a human shield to do its dirty deeds.

According to the ministry, Baku escalates the situation with its actions, on the one hand, and presents the situation on the frontline as consequence of the alleged offensive of the Armenian side, on the other hand.

Karabakh calls on Azerbaijan to respect the ceasefire arrangements made at its request and not to turn populated areas into firing positions not to turn them into targets.  Otherwise, the Defense Army says, the military command and the political leadership of Azerbaijan will be responsible for the consequences.

As EADaily reported earlier, according to the Defense Ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh, on April 26 throughout the day, the Azerbaijani side intensively shelled the Karabakh positions and populated areas along the Line of Contact using 85mm, 100mm, 122mm, and 152mm mortars, MM-21 (Grad) rocket launchers, as well as air defense missile systems.  On the night to April 26, two Karabakh soldiers were killed in shelling.

On the night to April 27, Azerbaijan continued intensively shelling the positions and populated areas using nearly its entire arsenal, including mortars, Grad rocket launchers, and firing more than 550 rounds. One more soldier was killed, as Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire this night.