3 women killed in Azerbaijan’s shelling of NE Armenia

The goal of these provocations is to hinder the negotiation process.

Hajiyev went on to add that by seriously violating their obligations under global humanitarian law, the Armenian armed forces continue to target civilians.

The Armenian military pledged to retaliate strongly after three Armenian civilians were killed and two others wounded on Thursday when their border villages came under fire from nearby Azerbaijani army positions.

This tactics is peculiar to terrorists, when they hide behind civilian objects and persons, and it is a war crime in the first place against the citizens of Armenia.

As “Armenpress” was informed by the Department of Press, Information and Public Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Foreign Minister of Armenia expressed his indignation to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs on the gross violations of the ceasefire by Azerbaijan, which caused human losses among the civilian population.

Protection of civilians, helping women, children and the elderly are high moral values that belong to the people and soldiers of Azerbaijan, Hajiyev said.

An Armenian serviceman guards an area close to the country’s border with Azerbaijan on February 16, 2015. Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 when Karabakh, mainly populated by Armenians, declared its independence from Azerbaijan. “To stabilize the situation and restrain the Azerbaijani troops, the Armenian armed forces will take retaliatory measures, with Azerbaijani military-political authorities bearing the entire responsibility of the consequences”.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.

“This latest ruse is Azerbaijan’s response to the productive expectations voiced by the Minsk Group Co-chairs regarding the negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan”, Nalbandyan said.