New tendency: terrorism Azerbaijan’s tactics

“It is a regular terrorist act by Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani side seems to have adopted new tactics of destabilizing the situation through terrorist attacks,” head of press office of Artsakh President’s administration David Babayan told an aysor.am correspondent.

According to the Artsakh official, we consider it a terrorist act since the diversion group had gun silencers, handcuffs, they attempted to cross Artsakh border and take hostages, kill Armenians.

“A tendency is observed here: Azeris carry out diversions just when meetings on Nagorno Karabakh settlement are held, especially those with Russia’s participation. They made a similar attack after the Saint Petersburg meeting (trilateral meeting of Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Russian Presidents). The Russian President was on official visit to Azerbaijan between September 2 and 3, and Azerbaijan again organized a diversion,” Babayan said.

In his words, it is a rebuff to mediator countries’ efforts and statements on establishment of stability in the region, especially as MG co-chairs are set to visit the region soon.

“I believe these actions of Azerbaijan should receive a serious response by the international community, particularly, by mediator countries,” Babayan stressed.

Head of Armenian Defense Ministry press office, Major General Vardan Avetisyan told an aysor.am correspondent that the September 4 diversion was a revenge by the enemy. “When Azerbaijan carried out a diversion in Mataghis on August 31 and failed, it had to take revenge by organizing another diversion. They organized it on September 4, expected to succeed and to take hostages from Armenian side,” Avetisyan said.

“Azeris try to carry out propaganda sacrificing their own people to it. I think they will continue diversions until they succeed and calm down their people,” official stressed.

Note that according to the NKR Defense Army press office, an attempt of Azerbaijani diversion took place on September 4, at around 06.50 am, in the north-east of Karabakh-Azerbaijan contact line (2 km east of the populated area of Jraberd). Karabakh army response actions made the diversion group take to flight leaving one dead. The group was killed in a mine blast as they were escaping, some were injured. According to intelligence data, one of them is Commander of Azerbaijani Armed Forces Intelligence Company and another of Field Company, Armenian Defense Ministry press office reported. No casualties in NKR army are reported.