UPDATE - Armenian armed forces stationed in Karabakh must be disarmed: Azerbaijani presidential aide

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENCY; REVISES HEADLINE; OTHER EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) — The Armenian armed forces stationed in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region must be disarmed, an aide to Azerbaijan's president said Tuesday.

"Illegal separatist puppet regime must dissolve itself, and the Armenian armed forces stationed in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan must be disarmed," Hikmet Hajiyev said on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Rights and security of civilians of Armenian descent in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan will be provided under the Constitution and international obligations of Azerbaijan," he added.

He said that in its counter-terrorist steps taken on Tuesday, his country is applying "precision guided munitions against legitimate military targets" and avoiding "collateral damage to civilians."

*Separately, in a statement, the Azerbaijani Presidency said that "representatives of the Armenian residents living in our country's Karabakh region were on several occasions invited by the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan for dialogue on the reintegration issues. However, they have repeatedly rejected it."

The statement said Azerbaijan is prepared to hold a meeting in the city of Yevlakh with the representatives of Armenian residents living in Karabakh.

"Nevertheless, for the anti-terror measures to stop, the illegal Armenian military formations must raise the white flag, all the weapons must be handed over, and the illegal regime must be dissolved,” said the statement.

“Otherwise, the anti-terror measures will be continued until the end,” it added.

In another statement, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry called on "the formations of the Armenian armed forces stationed in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan to lay down their weapons and surrender. In this case, anti-terrorist activities will be stopped."

"We are in operational contact with the Russian peacekeeping contingent temporarily stationed in the territory of Azerbaijan, and we are creating all conditions for them to fulfill their duties," it added.

Earlier, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said that it started "anti-terror activities" in Karabakh to "suppress large-scale provocations in the Karabakh economic region, to disarm and secure the withdrawal of formations of Armenia’s armed forces from our territories, neutralize their military infrastructure, provide the safety of the civilian population returned to the territories liberated from occupation, the civilians involved in construction and restoration work and our military personnel, and ultimately restore the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan."

Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation during 44 days of clashes. The war ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire.

Tensions between the two nations, however, continue despite ongoing talks over a long-term peace agreement.